AM Station 850

Got my 850th AM station the other night- WFLI-1070 in Lookout Mountain TN. My AM log goes back to 1976 when we moved to northeastern Maryland. I took a rather long break from AM DXing through the late 80s to the early 2000s, which explains why it took me 33 years to finally get to 850 stations. On to 1000!

WBZ, Heal Thyself?

From Scott Fybush's North East Radio Watch of October 26, about WBIX-1060 wanting to increase power to 50 kw:

"WBIX's (on 1060) proposed return to Ashland could reignite a battle that kept the old WGTR from ever becoming fully licensed at the Ashland site: back then, WBZ (1030) objected to potential interference to its signal from the third-adjacent..."

With all the interference WBZ causes with it's IBOC garbage, isn't it a bit hypocritical that they would complain about potential interference from WBIX when WBZ is guilty of actual and continual interference? 1020 and 1040 suffer from WBZ's IBOC hash and I have trouble hearing KDKA. WBZ has also been the target of lawsuits by WYSL-1040 near Rochester because of their IBOC. Maybe if WBZ turned their IBOC off, they could actually complain about something like this with a straight face.

DelDOT Puts Up Another HAR?

I've noticed that the WTMC network of HAR stations, run by the Delaware Department of Transportation on 1380 may have put up a new transmitter. I was getting overloading of the WTMC signal in north Dover, near exit 104 off Route 1, at the intersection of US13 and Scarborough Road. Sure enough, a new HAR transmitter tower is there, similar to the new one in Smyrna, at exit 114 off Route 1. I don't know if this replaces the transmitter that is already on the air in south Dover near the Puncheon Run Connector or if this is an additional transmitter, which would bring to 5 stations on 1380, run by DelDOT- the main station in Wilmington, Smyrna, two now in Dover and in Rehoboth Beach.

That NRC Contest

One way to re-focus on your DXing is to do a contest, so I am participating in the contests run by the National Radio Club. I don't think any info is online- you have to read about in in the DX News. One is a points-based contest, one is a mileage-based contest. In the points contest, I am at 546 points and in the distance contest, I am at over 82,000 miles of DX. Contests make me go back and spend time on frequencies and stations I have already logged that I might otherwise ignore. You never know what might pop up on a frequency that you thought you had exhausted!

Does Anyone Listen to WTMC?

The Delaware Department of Transportation operates 4 HAR stations on 1380, in Wilmington (WTMC), Smyrna, Dover and Rehoboth Beach (all 10-watt stations, or so). It's the usual fare, construction info and highly annoying PSAs that nag at you continually to buckle your seat belt and to watch for pedestrians. Those PSAs are so insulting and annoying to make me tune out as soon as one comes on. For real-live traffic info, the WTMC network is useless. There was a very serious accident in Camden last week where 11 people were injured and no mention at all of it was made on WTMC, despite a major traffic backup that was the result of the accident. If you want traffic in New Castle County, listed to WDEL or WILM. In Kent County, you'll get some traffic off WDOV (a rather useless station in its own right). I don't know if WGMD gives any traffic for the beaches. But no one tunes into WTMC for traffic. The construction delay info on WTMC is only marginally useful. They don't even give any weather forecasts or conditions, that would be genuinely useful. And the announcers on WTMC are just awful, reading will all the sincerity of a housewife reading the ingredients on a box of cereal in the grocery store. Can't they hire some professional-sounding announcers?

So what's the point in this taxpayer-run network? The private stations in Delaware do it much better and you can always go to the DelDOT website if you want construction delay info. Why not sell the 1380 outlet in Wilmington and shut down the HAR stations and save the already-overburdened taxpayer a few dollars? This makes good sense seeing how far in the financial hole the state of Delaware is currently in.

October 14- UL Log 603

Logged WPMH Claremont VA on 670 about 16:45 on October 14, weak, unknown talk show, heard "...talk radio for Hampton Roads..." I got this a few weeks ago on the car radio, but got it again on the ultralights. UL log #603.

WCTF-1170 Vernon CT leaked through about 08:15 on October 15, with Family Radio's distinctive Christian music. Got it on the FRG-7 but not strong enough for the ultralights.

Lousy AM DX and October Es

My sunrise DX has been less than stellar this season, despite a new log yesterday (1170 WCLN Clinton NC). Not sure why but I'm doing much better at sunset than at sunrise so far this season.

And what's up with the FM Es? Big openings to Mexico yesterday from the central US. Looks more like July than August!

October 12- New MW Log

Dashboard DXing on the way to work, got a new MW station:

1170, WCLN, Clinton NC, 08:15, under WWVA, local news, weather and ads, many mentions of Sampson County, where Clinton is. Announcer had that distinctive North Carolina accent.

I have to try for this to get it into my Ultralight log, if possible!

October 10, 2009- Unusual FM Opening

We don't get much Es on the east coast in October, so the surprise opening on October 10 was a pleasant surprise.

I was driving around town when I noticed very strong signals on 88.3 and 88.7, which are two of my "clear" channels. When I got home, I noticed signals up the band and other DXers were reporting Es up to the top of the band.

Logs from the October 10 opening:
92.3 WLWI Montgomery AL, 759 miles at 15:45 with SEC football post-game show, ISP sports, call ID

89.5 WPCS Pensacola FL, 903 miles, 15:50, //webstream, Rejoice Broadcasting Network, Christian music

89.5 WGTF, Dothan AL, 784 miles, 15:50, swapping with WPCS, Bible Broadcasting Network

93.9 WYTK, Rogersville AL, 717 miles, 16:45, SEC football post-game show

92.5 WPAP Panama City FL, 824 miles, 16:50, country music

The TV Dxers were reporting double-hop from Ontario to Columbia and Venezuela, but nothing that exotic on the FM bands.

Where I Stand- October 12, 2009

Okay, after being very lazy about this blog (and concentrating on my theological blog at http://remnantpilgrim.wordpress.com/), I've decided to finally get this radio-centric blog off the ground.

As of October 12, 2009, my current totals are:
MW stations (goes back to 1976)
836 stations
36 states plus DC
8 Canadian provinces
24 countries

Ultralight DXing MW totals (separate from my master MW log above, the UL log started on December 13, 2007):
602 stations
34 states
4 Canadian provinces
13 countries

FM stations:
480 stations
33 states
6 Canadian provinces
4 countries

I also have a shortwave log but I am currently concentrating on AM and FM DXing these days.

I have a website www.pilgrimway.org/dx where I keep all of my radio-centric stuff. My radio-bio is also there.

BTW- the WDX3IAO was my "SWL Call" that I obtained back in the late 1970s, from the WDX Callsign Program. Although I have a ham call of KB3LYP, I have a greater affection for my WDX call.