DX Tests . Info

WGGH-1150 Marion, IL DX Test

2010-01-27T10:22:00.001Z

TEST CANCELED

We've just received confirmation from Paul Walker that the DX test scheduled for WGGH 1150 in Marion IL for Feb. 6, 2009 has been canceled. A test may be scheduled at later date.

Date: Saturday morning (late Friday night) Feb 6, 2010.
Time: 0000-0200 CST (0600-0800 UTC).
Mode of Operation: 5000 watts (daytime pattern).
Programming: classic country and oldies music along with tons of various sound effects. It should be fairly easy to identify the station, as our slogan is somewhat unique, "Monster Radio AM 1150". We also have TM Century jingles, including one used every hour for a legal id (spoken.."Southern Illinois Trusted Voice Since 1949, (sung) AM 1150 WGGH Marion"
QSL Information: MUST send a self addressed envelope with at least 2 stamps, otherwise you will not get a reply. Please send reception reports to:

Paul B. Walker, Jr.
WGGH-AM 1150
P.O. Box 340
Marion, IL 62959

I will want to know your location, types of radio used, when/what you heard. If you send a CD, do NOT send the entire test, just a few relevant clips. If you send a cassette tape, cue it up to where it needs to be or I won't listen. Our webstreaming will be disabled during this test. -- Paul Walker, Jr.

Many thanks to Paul for organizing this test!

DX Tests Committee – Inaugural 2010 Report

2010-01-13T21:40:00.001Z

Welcome to what we hope will be a semi-regular feature.

We have undertaken to revive the DX tests Committee, a joint venture of IRCA and NRC, with a view to encouraging stations to run special tests or to let us know in advance when they will be working on their facilities.

It seems, lately, that DX tests have gone the way of the QSL. Tests used to be a relatively common, yet fewer and fewer stations are participating. We used to enjoy several one or two tests a month, at their peak. Now we’re lucky to get one or two a year.

We’d like to see more activity. Tests are an opportunity to log new stations – daytimers running at night, or a 24-hour station running daytime power and pattern during the witching hour.

More tests will also complement other efforts to revive and maintain interest in DX at a time when conventional radio’s days seem numbered. Witness all the effort to promote ultralight radios, $50 marvels that, even without modifications, have tremendous nulling capabilities and can pick up stations thousands of miles away.

Tests generally run between 0000 and 0600 local time, when broadcast regulators allow testing and other related activity to take place. We don’t recommend abusing this privilege – for example, running on day power and pattern on multiple, consecutive nights. Once a year, or whenever a station needs to tweak its technical facilities, is more than sufficient.

Content can vary, but tests intended for DX reception generally include morse code IDs, sound effects such as sweep tones, and an eclectic mix of music – say high-school marching bands or the wild sounds of the klezmer. In other words, material that helps the station stand out from others on the same frequency. Morse code and sweep tones are particularly effective at cutting through a crowded channel. Even graveyarders – local stations on frequencies such as 1230 and 1400 – have been heard at great distances.

Stations should run DX tests using their daytime transmitter pattern and power. Otherwise, they’re really doing nothing much out of the ordinary.

DX tests don’t magically appear. They happen through the concerted effort of volunteers like you who contact the stations and ask. If you know an engineer, program director or owner at a particular station, why not ask! Perhaps you are the engineer, PD or owner. If you receive a particularly friendly QSL, send a thank-you and a friendly, polite pitch for a test.

The worst that can happen is you’ll be turned down. Really, that’s no big deal – just move on and ask another station. Somebody, somewhere will eventually say Yes! if you persist in your efforts and make a conscious effort to be friendly and approachable.

When a station agrees to test, let us know so we can notify DXers around the world. Contact us at the address above. If you’re not sure how to make your query, or if your station contact isn’t familiar with running a DX test, we’re here to help. We can provide you with a generic sample letter, which you can adapt to suit your target station. We can even provide sound effects and ‘weird’ music.

We might add that if you hear in advance of a station planning to go off the air to do transmitter work, please let us know immediately. A station briefly vacating a channel also represents an opportunity to hear stations that would normally be obscured. Furthermore, consider asking the station to run some morse code, sweep tones, or other DX test material for a few minutes when they’re doing their work or returning to the air.

Please keep in mind that the more advance notice you can provide, the better able we are to pass the word along through DX club paper bulletins and over the DX Audio Service. Unfortunately, not every DXer has internet access (those of you who do not have computers might consider setting up a Hotmail or Yahoo account and using a computer at your local library – you’ll get lots of good DX tips by subscribing to the many alert and discussion lists out there).

Here’s a New Year’s challenge: If each of you reading this contacts one station – well, can you imagine? That would be a season to remember!

To help, this column will appear periodically in the paper bulletins of both clubs, and also online where appropriate (feel free to circulate).

You are welcome to e-mail any feedback and suggestions to the committee at dxtests [at] bell.net or to log onto dxtests.info to see what tests have been scheduled.

73s,

Saul Chernos
for the DX Tests Committee

E-mail: dxtests [at] bell.net

Alert: possible KEVT-1210 Sahuarita, Arizona Test

2010-01-13T21:26:00.004Z

** SEE UPDATE BELOW

Via Paul Losoff via Patrick Martin, IRCA Mailing List

Date: Friday morning (late Thu. night) Jan 15, 2009.
Time: 0100 - 0500 MST (0800 - 1200 UTC).
Mode of Operation: 10 kW non-directional.
Programming: normal programming is mostly regional Mexican music, possible English IDs, morse code. Slogan "La Raza Doce Diez"

Unofficial QSL Information:

Armando Zamora, President / CEO
azamora [at] kevtradio.net

UPDATE: Updated info from Luna at KEVT

"I wanted to let you know that I'll be doing repairs on the transmitter
in a couple of nights and I'll be broadcasting at a Full 10Kw. on the morning of Fri. Jan. 15 between the hours of 1:00 and 5:00 AM MST. and the "test" audio will be in english and.....if I get the disc in time, the "top of the hour station ID" will be in Morse Code. Again, sorry for the short notice. as mentioned before, it's been pretty busy around here."

WSRY-1550 Elkton, MD DX Test

2009-11-16T12:09:00.000Z

Date: Sunday morning (late Saturday night) November 29, 2009.
Time: 0001-0100 ELT (0501-0600 UTC).
Mode of Operation: 1000 watts directional to north-northwest (daytime pattern).
Programming: Tune in and find out!

QSL Information: QSL and other information to follow shortly.

Many thanks to Dan Oetting for organizing this test!

- Saul Chernos

for the DX Test Committee

Radio St. Helena Day 2009

2009-11-10T19:20:00.000Z

Radio St. Helena Day 2009 will be on Saturday, Nov 14. The "Party On-The-Air" will have the following schedule:

11092.5 kHz (USB)
2000 – 2100 UTC India / Southeast Asia
2100 – 2200 UTC Japan / Asia
2200 – 2330 UTC Europe
2330 – 0100 UTC North America / Central America / Caribbean

R St. Helena is very pleased to announce that the newly designed RSD 2009 QSL cards will be sponsored by the highly respected Japan Short Wave Club (JSWC). This good news has been reported by Mr. T. Ohtake of the JSWC. It can truly be said, that without the very generous help of the JSWC, there would not have been a RSD Revival in 2006.

To get a QSL from R St. Helena, you must send a written and verifiable reception report by AIRMAIL and include sufficient return postage. E-mail reports will be not be verified. Recordings will not be returned. In EURO-countries, please send a 5-Euro banknote. Otherwise, please send 3 or more US dollar banknotes to cover the required return postage.

Radio St. Helena
P.O. Box 93
Jamestown , St. Helena
STHL 1ZZ
South Atlantic Ocean
------------------------------
via AIRMAIL
via United Kingdom & Ascension
------------------------------

The last two lines of the above address are very important and should be written as shown. Be sure to use sufficient postage on your letter to RSH. Ask at your local post office for the correct AIRMAIL postage for your letter to go all the way to St. Helena.

E-mails and telephone calls from DXers everywhere are very welcome during the broadcasts. The special email address only for this year for RSD 2009 will be:
radio.announcements4669 [at] msn.com. (The email address MUST be ALL in LOWER case letters. Apparently, uppercase letters will not work) Gary Walters and his Team at RSH wish everyone excellent listening conditions, hope that you enjoy the programming, and hope that the sunspots will be kinder to us this year.

DX Test Committee

2009-09-11T03:32:00.001Z

[Note: This was cross-posted to multiple AM DX lists. -ed]

Want to log that impossible state, province, or country?

We're looking for volunteers for the DX Test Committee for the 2009-2010 "fall-winter-spring" MW DX season.

Lots to do, and always good to have back-up help so we can contact lots of station engineers; prepare audio files to enhance test quality; prepare QSL cards for engineers wanting these; etc. We also need each DX club and organization to have a rep on the committee, to ensure test info gets to bulletin and website publishers, to ask fellow members to organize tests, and to generally offer a communications channel. I've volunteered to do this for NRC.

There's no reason, with all of you out there, that we can't get a good number of tests lined up. Volunteers do not have to join the committee to help line up tests, and I don't foresee this turning into any official authority or bureaucracy. The idea is to maintain a DX Tests Central -- to promote and coordinate efforts so tests happen, that they have the kind of whiz-bang audio we've become accustomed to over the past couple of years, that DXers are notified promptly and as far in advance as possible, and that issues such QSLs are attended to.

We've had some great volunteers the past few years. Want to see this continue? Please contact me offlist to volunteer, although I am happy to see any online discussion with ideas, observations and such.

Thanks,

Saul Chernos
sauldx [at] sympatico.ca

Night of Nights X

2009-06-21T19:40:00.001Z

This was recently posted to the Radiomarime forum and I thought it may of of interest to some DXers.

The annual Maritime Radio Historical Society "Night of Nights" event is less than one month away.

This will be the tenth annual Night of Nights!

Every year on 12 July (US time) many famous coast stations return to the air to commemorate what was then thought to be the last commercial Morse stations in the USA.

Since then MRHS coast station KSM has taken to the air and three other commercial coast stations have received licenses for operation in the MF band (KNE, KDR and WFT). Historic ships have reactivated their radio consoles and are active on MF and HF.

The purpose of Night of Nights is to emphasize the objective of the MRHS: to preserve the skills, traditions and culture of the men and women who came before us and who made the profession of radiotelegrapher one of honor and skill.

This year stations KPH, and KSM will be on the air. We anticipate that KFS will be on the air as well. We hope that US Coast Guard stations NMC, NOJ and NMN will join us as they did last year.

Amateur station K6KPH will guard 3550, 7050 and 14050kc for reception reports.

Preliminary information has been posted on the MRHS Web site: http://www.radiomarine.org

Check back often for updated information as it becomes available.

If you would like to receive announcements like this and are not already a member of our mailing list just send a message to: radiomarine-subscribe [at] yahoogroups.com

WCTN-950 Potomac, MD DX Test

2009-04-09T19:25:00.002Z

This just in to DXTest.info from Chris at WCTN!

Date: Friday (late Thursday night), April 10, 2009.
Time: Midnight - 12:30 a.m. Eastern Time, 0400 - 0430 UTC.
Mode of Operation: 2500 watts DA
Programming: Programming will be a mix between adult standards and oldies id's between everything - and the "WCTN Potomac - Cabin John Testing" at the top of the hour.

QSL Information: Please send reception reports to:

WCTN
7825 Tuckerman Lane
Suite 217
Potomac, MD 20854

Many thanks to Chris for scheduling this test! Everyone trying for test please leave a comment on your success.

WHTB-1400 Fall River, MA DX Test

2009-03-25T19:38:00.003Z

Can any confirm if this test actually ran?

ABDX presents their third DX test of the season!

Date: Sunday morning (late Saturday night), Mar 29, 2009.
Time: 1 - 2 a.m. Eastern Time, 0500 - 0600 UTC.
Mode of Operation: The station will test with 1kW non-directional mono. There will be the announcements, the station ID in Morse Code, sweep tones, train whistles, etc. (including a jingle).

QSL Information: Please send reception reports to production [at] wsar.com or you may send postal reports to:

WHTB
1 Home St.
Somerset, Ma. 02725

A special thank you to Jay Rogers, N1WVQ/WQBI410 and all the people at ABDX who made this possible

WSAR-1480 Somerset, MA DX Test

2009-03-19T20:27:00.003Z

ABDX presents their second DX test of the season!

Date: Sunday morning (late Saturday night), Mar 22, 2009.
Time: 2 - 3 a.m. Eastern Time, 0600 - 0700 UTC.
Mode of Operation: The station will test with 5 kW DA-U using 2 towers. There will be the announcements, the station ID in Morse Code, sweep tones, train whistles, etc. (including a jingle).

QSL Information: Please send reception reports to production [at] wsar.com or you may send postal reports to:

WSAR
1 Home St.
Somerset, Ma. 02725

Most likely their sister 1kW class C station: WHTB-1400 will be doing1 the same test the following week @ the same time.

A special thank you to Jay Rogers, N1WVQ/WQBI410 and all the people at ABDX who made this possible

Last broadcast of ZLXA 3935 kHz, Levin, New Zealand

2009-03-16T17:07:00.000Z

Station: ZLXA,Radio Reading Service, Levin, New Zealand, 3935 kHz
Schedule: 0400 UTC March 20, 2009 - 1900 UTC March 22, 2009

Original announcement via Dan Ferguson, NASWA via Anker Petersen, DSWCI:

Dear Friends

Following a meeting of the Board of N.Z. Radio for the Print Disabled Inc. on 2 Feb 2009, below is an extract from the Secretary's reply to my letter of 26 January in which I discuss the possible closure of our shortwave service.

"The Board of the NZ Radio for the Print Disabled considered all the facts presented but came to the decision to cease broadcasting as ZLXA on 3935 kHz forthwith. The main reason for this decision is the state of the valves on the transmitter. We would need to renew the four valves (4/400c) at a cost of approximately $3000 also the cost of power at $400 per month and an annual licence of $700 combined makes this broadcasting service completely unfeasible.

We are at this point in time trying to raise finance to replace the MW transmitter which suffered damage during last year's storm.

The Board, though, has agreed to broadcast on 3935 kHz over a weekend from 5.00pm Friday 20th March through to Monday morning 23rd March 2009, (0400 20/3 - 1900 22/3 UTC), depending on the transmitter functioning for that period.

This is the best that we can do to enable the many international DXers to receive our transmission for one last time."

As you will appreciate, for an organisation reliant on grants and donations to continue serving our listening community, the shortwave component is no longer viable. Therefore, RRS will maintain local broadcasts on 1602 kHz (2XA) and 107.3 MHz FM only.

Kindest regards & Best DX
Kelvin Brayshaw
QSL Manager
NZ Radio Reading Service
LEVIN

Radio North-846 Ireland DX Test

2009-03-08T15:10:00.002Z

Ken Baird in Scotland sent Guy Atkins this information and asked that it be publicized: I have been in communications with Radio North in Co Donegal, Eire. They have agreed to make a similar DX test that night. The details are as follows.

Date: Sunday morning (Late Saturday night) March 15th 2009.
Time: 0200 - 0600 UTC inclusive.
Mode of Operation: The station runs 1kW on 846 kHz.
Programming: There will be voice IDs and CW slow speed IDs every 30m on the hour and on the half hour during their normal overnight music, and music will hopefully consist of better known pop / oldies.. There will be frequent jingle IDs thrown in between times as well.

QSL Information: Radio North will verify with full data QSL's for this broadcast. The email address to be used is:

radionorth846am[at]gmail.com

Thank you to Paul for his continued enthusiasm towards MW DXers.

WHYL-960 Carlisle, PA DX Test

2009-03-05T03:04:00.004Z

Date: Sunday morning (late Saturday night), Mar 15, 2009.
Time: 12 Midnight - 2 a.m. Eastern Time, 0400 - 0600 UTC.
Mode of Operation: The station will test with 5 kW DA E-W. The DX test will consist of "peppier" pop music, morse code and sweep tones.

QSL Information: 1$ to help defray return postage requested. You may send postal reports to:

WHYL
ATTN Bruce Collier,
1703 Walnut Bottom Rd
Carlisle, PA 17015
U.S.A.

Thank you to Bruce Collier for making this test possible!

WOON 1240 kHz Woonsocket, RI DX Test

2008-12-13T16:04:00.008Z

ABDX re-presents the first DX test of the season. The WOON 1240 test did not run on Dec. 21 so an attempt is being made to run the test again.

Date: Sunday morning (late Saturday night), Jan 18, 2009.
Time: 2 - 3 a.m. Eastern Time, 0700 - 0800 UTC.
Mode of Operation: The station will test with 1 kW NDA. The DX test will consist of the following four elements, repeated in this order, for the duration of the test:

--Morse Code ID
--Voice announcement about it being a test broadcast
--Morse Code ID
--WOON Radio Jingle, (sung) "O-N Radio.......in Woonsocket".

QSL Information: You may submit a report via e-mail to Dave Richards at "dave [at] onworldwide.com". (note: use the station callsign as the subject line so it's not disregarded as spam).

You may send postal reports to:

WOON/1240
985 Park Avenue
Woonsocket, R.I. 02895-6332
U.S.A.

A special thank you to Jay, Ron Gitschier and others who made this test possible.

Kevin Redding, ABDX List owner
And all the people at ABDX who made this possible

CBA-1070 kHz Moncton, NB DX Test

2008-04-02T04:02:00.008Z

A couple things to note: The test may be very very brief, and at 01:00 ATLANTIC time Monday morning the 7th, therefore 12 midnight Eastern local time. That is Sunday going into Monday. (0400 UTC Monday, April 7 2008)

Second, CBA News is interviewing me for a 5-minute item that will likely air between 4-4:30 Atlantic time (3-3:30 eastern time). I sent them a copy of the morse code, thinking they might like it as a sound effect, and they might include that. I know it's well before sunset, but it would be cool if the code punches through 1070 at that hour, and how far the "newscast test" gets out... that is this afternoon, in a few hours.

I am also not divulging what content the DX test will include. Let's just say, if you hear it, you'll know. And if you're not sure -- that's happened to me before -- recordings can be listened to.

I expect to have QSL information very soon after the test. It's possible that CBA will handle this, though I have not yet heard back on that.

Enjoy...

Saul Chernos

UPDATE: CBA 1070 in Moncton has confirmed they will air a DX test Monday morning, April 7 at 01:00 am ***Atlantic*** time (0400 UTC).

I'm now trying to determine the duration of the test - I'd expect just a couple of minutes, for a very tight window of opportunity - and how QSLs and eQSLs will be handled.

Please feel free to spread this far and wide. I'd like our friends overseas to know and I'm not on any of those lists!

BTW, I know it's taken a long time for the CFFX QSLs. And I really appreciate the patience we've encounterted from fellow DXers. We're getting these finalized; they will be issued shortly. We have NOT forgotten!

Saul

Attention DXers: Get out your DX calendars and mark down early Monday morning, April 7. Saul Chernos - our "Canadian Connection" - has been working the phones again, and we are hoping to have a real treat to finish out the 2007-2008 DX Test Season.

CBA 1070 in Moncton, New Brunswick, plans to sign off for good as it completes its switch to FM (106.1) at 0700 Atlantic time on April 7. The Broadcast Test Committee is currently working with CBA personnel to include DX test content in some form during the overnight hours leading up to the official shut-down.

Because of the late timing, we thought it prudent to get the word out as soon as possible even though we are still in the process of finalizing details and verifying if and when the test material will air.

CBA runs 50,000 watts U1 day and night. If this test runs, expect much of the same content you've heard in other DX tests. We will post updates as soon as we have new information.

If you are in touch with other DXers who do not have computer or Internet access, please fill them in on this. We'd hate for anyone to miss out on this opportunity.

Jim Pogue and Saul Chernos
IRCA/NRC Joint Broadcast Test Committee

WHBC DX Test update

2008-03-26T12:46:00.000Z

Fellow DXers,

My apologies for taking so long to update everyone on this DX Test, but I wasn't able to talk with WHBC Chief Engineer Dale Lamm until today (Monday, March 24), plus I have been traveling all day and just now have made it to where I can work on e-mails.

After a lengthy and informative conversation with Dale, he feels it is best that we proceed with the DX Test on the 29th as scheduled, although he will be using WHBC's standard night pattern and power. He does intend to include special test features like Morse code and sweep tones, probably inserted during some standard breaks. This should still significantly improve the chances of hearing WHBC's signal at greater distances.

Thanks to Dale for conducting the test, and I know we are all grateful for him taking the time and trouble to air the special program inserted into their standard Fox Sports Channel fare.

73s,

Jim Pogue
IRCA/NRC Joint BTC Coordinator
Memphis, TN

WBIX DX Test Final Report

2008-03-19T13:44:00.001Z

Let me think of some appropriate superlatives: spectacular, amazing, overwhelmingly successful … nope, they still don’t capture how great this late-February DX test from Natick, Massachusetts came out. In addition to being heard in at least 18 U.S. states and 2 Canadian provinces, the test was also logged in Finland, Norway, Scotland, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Here’s the LONG list of DXers who have reported hearing the test:

Mark DeLorenzo – South Dennis, MA
Dave Hochfelder – Albany, NY
Steve Howe – Saint Albans, VT
Curtis Sadowski – Paxton, IL
Joe Miller – Troy, MI
Mike Brooker – Toronto, ON
Craig Healy – Providence, RI
George Sherman – Minnesota
Perry Crabill – Winchester, VA
Mark Gerwlivch – Markham, ON
Mark Connelly - Billerica, MA
Rob Ross – London, ON (DXing on an Ultralite radio of course)
Bruce Portzer – Seattle, WA
Tom Jasinski – Shorewood, IL
Bjarne Mjelde – Berlevag, Norway
Jan Edh – Freddiksfors, Sweden
OJ Sagdahl – Tronheim, Norway
Andrew Blade – York, UK
Sig Andersson – Norrköping, Sweden
Torolf Johnsson – Stockholm, Sweden
Dave Pyatt – Burlington, ON
Bob Galerstein – Monroe, NY
Dave Braun – Wyoming, DE
Joe Wozniak – St. Louis, MO
Rich Line – Sterling Heights, MI
David Faulkner – Albany, OH
Torgeir Woxen – Sørumsand, Norway
Barry Davies – Carlisle, UK
Shawn Axelrod – Winnipeg, MB
Neil Kazaross – Barrington, IL
Jim Wallace – Charleston, WV
Tim Noonan – Oak Creek, WI
Steve Francis – DXing from Newport News, VA
Dave Larrabee – Columbia, MD
Jim Solatie – Lemmenjoki, Finland
Eric Söderman – Norrköping, Sweden
Håkan Sundman – Lemmenjoki, Finland
Ken Baird – Sorn, Scotland
Kermit Geary – Walnutport, PA
Jim Paige – Sterling Heights, MI
Steve Kennedy – Coal Township, PA
Charles Helms – Nutley, NJ
Philip Chiello, Jr. – Elm Grove, WI
Kraig Krist – Manassas, VA
Leslie Wood – East Meadow, NY
John Fisher – North Chelmsford, MA
Mary Karren-Landry – Poland Spring, ME
John Malicky – Pittsburgh, PA
Andrew Brade – East Yorkshire, UK
Paul Crankshaw – Ayrshire Scotland

It seems that the only DXers east of the Mississippi River who had a problem hearing the test were those like me here in Memphis who live in WBIX’s protective null. Likewise, J.D. Stephens and Les Rayburn in Alabama reported no success in hearing this most desirable test.

A trend that appears to be developing is a greater international interest in trying for DX tests. This is indeed exciting, and a potentially strong selling point to station engineers and management for future tests. Evidence supporting some unrealized potential for future successes in this area is provided by comments from DXer Mark Connelly in Massachusetts:

“At 0016 EST / 0516 UTC on 24 FEB I had no problem hearing the WBIX-1060 Natick, MA test on the DXTuner receiver located in Ilfracombe, England,” he wrote. “Code ID's, sweep tones, and voice announcements came through fine. Clearly dominating the channel. (Other DXTuners) that had some signal: Edinburgh, Scotland (poor, much weaker than at Ilfracombe, bits of voice and tones) Italy and Germany (carrier evident but nil / nearly nil audio) Caracas, Venezuela (bits of Morse code ID in huge “furball” jumble).”

Thanks for sharing this fascinating info Mark. Perhaps we need to try and reach out to DXers in Latin America and encourage them to begin listening for tests. I have not received any reports from DXers in those regions on any tests this season.

As the prime BCB listening time begins to transition into nights with higher QRN levels and more hours of daylight, I am still trying to nail down just a couple more DX tests. More to follow on these as details become available.

Once again, our sincere thanks to WBIX Chief Engineer Grady Moates for agreeing to conduct this test, and to BTC member Paul B. Walker Jr. for his persistent efforts to arrange it. Now to the task of processing the many requests for QSLs.

Remember to keep checking the DXTESTS.INFO Web site frequently and listen to the BTC Podcasts for news and late-breaking developments.

Jim Pogue
IRCA/NRC Joint Broadcast Test Committee Coordinator
Memphis, TN

WHBC 1480 kHz Canton, OH DX Test

2008-03-15T02:56:00.000Z

Date: Saturday morning (late Friday night), March 29, 2008.
Time: 3 - 4 a.m. Eastern Time, 0700 - 0800 UTC.
Mode of Operation: The station will test with daytime power and pattern, carrying their regular Fox Sports Radio talk programming and interspersing Morse code and sweep tones.

QSL Information: Reception reports may be sent to Director of Engineering Dale Lamm/NX8J by several means:

You may submit a report via the station's Web site by clicking on this link.

You may submit a report directly to Mr. Lamm by sending an E-mail to "DLamm [at] WHBC.com" Recordings in mp3 or wav format as proof of reception will be accepted.

You may send postal reports to:

Mr. Dale Lamm, Director of Engineering,
WHBC-AM Radio,
550 Market Avenue South,
Canton, OH 44702-2112.

Audio files in mp3 or wav format will be accepted. If you only have cassette recording capabilities, please contact Jim Pogue (KH2AR [at] comcast.net) for special
instructions.

NOTE: All requests for postal verifications must be accompanied by return postage in order to receive a reply.

Many thanks to Mr. Lamm for agreeing to conduct this test.

Jim Pogue - KH2AR [at] comcast.net
www.dxtests.info
IRCA/NRC Joint BTC Coordinator

WNTP 990 kHz Philadelphia, PA DX Test

2008-02-28T13:44:00.000Z

** RESCHEDULED **

Date: Saturday morning (late Friday night), Mar. 15, 2008.
Time: Midnight - 1 a.m. Eastern Time, 0400 – 0500 UTC.
Mode of Operation: From midnight until 12:30 a.m. the station will test with their new daytime pattern and 50 KW power. From 12:30 until 1 a.m. they will test with their non-directional pattern and 12.5 KW power. Previous non-directional tests have been conducted at 5 KW, and this higher power should give more listeners a chance to hear this station.
Notes: “We’ll especially be running a lot of sweep tones since they seem to get the best results. Morse IDs, steady 2 kHz tones, and some odd ball music – which I have yet to pick,” says Chief Engineer and DXer René Tetro.

QSL Information: Reception reports may be sent to René at WNTP, 117 Ridge Pike, Lafayette Hill, PA 19444. E-mail reception reports may also be submitted to rtetro [at] pobox.com. “If sending an audio recording, I prefer CD or mp3 (MP3s can be an attachment to an e-mail, provided the size doesn’t exceed 3-4 mb),” René adds. No eQSL service is being offered for this test.

This is the fourth year in a row that René will conduct a test over WNTP, but this higher transmitter power opens up lots of new possibilities.

NOTE: All requests for verifications must be accompanied by return postage in order to receive a reply.

Many thanks to René for his great support over the years to DXers and our hobby, and in particular for conducting this test.

Jim Pogue – KH2AR [at] comcast.net
IRCA/NRC Joint BTC Coordinator

WKDK DX Test Final Report

2008-02-25T01:01:00.001Z

To paraphrase a well known member of our hobby community (apologies to GH), if anyone ever tells you that DX tests on graveyard frequencies don't get out, "don't you believe them!" Powell Way III's great test over his 1240 kHz station on the morning of Feb. 11 was heard well throughout the South, along the Eastern Seaboard and into the Midwest. Here's our list of the lucky folks who've check in to say they heard "WKDK ... Newberry County's VOICE for over 60 Years!"

Fred Nordquist - Moncks Corner, SC
Paul Walker Jr. - Abbeville, SC
Dave Hochfelder - Albany, NY
Joe Miller - Troy, MI
Jim Renfrew - Holley, NY
Willis Monk - Old Fort, TN
Les Rayburn - Central Alabama
J.D. Stephens - Hampton Cove, AL
Dave Pyatt - Burlington, ON, Canada
Steve Francis - Alcoa, TN
Tom Jasinski - Shorewood, IL
Chris Johnson - Taylors, SC
And an anonymous posting from Michigan on the DXTESTS.INFO site.

There were a number of "tentatives" as well, including:

Saul Chernos - Burnt River, ON, Canada
Mark Gerwlivch - Markham, ON, Canada
Dave Lang - Waterford, CT
Jim Pogue - Memphis, TN

We'll have to wait until Powell has a chance to work through the reports to see if we hit pay dirt or just plain dirt.

Several other DXers tried for the test but mostly just heard the old graveyard gumbo/ These DXers included Joe Wozniak in St. Louis, Steve Ratzlaff in Oregon, Frank Aden in Idaho, and Wayne Heinen in Colorado.

For a few others who didn't hear WKDK, the time spent at the dials was not a complete loss as it did yield some new ones for them. Dan Riordan in Sherwood, OR, heard two he need from California, namely KNRY and KSUE. And Craig Barnes in Wondervu, CO, added KCCR in Pierre, SD, to his logbook.

Again, our sincere thanks to Powell Way III for conducting this test. Hearing a graveyard station is always a treat in my book.

Remember to keep checking the DXTESTS.INFO Web site frequently and listen to the BTC Podcasts for news and late-breaking developments.

Jim Pogue
IRCA/NRC Joint Broadcast Test Committee Coordinator

CKEC 1320, New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Canada - Final days on the air

2008-02-09T04:09:00.000Z

This station is scheduled to permanently sign off its AM facilities and transition fully to 94.1 FM on March 11, 2008. Although the station is unable to conduct a special test with tones, Morse code or other special content, Chief Engineer Peter Lann (VE1LAN) invites reception reports from DXers during the last days of AM operation. He says this will be an extremely good time to hear the station, particularly the final week. The station ID is given at least four times per hour and there is a four-minute News Cast at the top of the hour. Mr. Lann says he will reply to all DX reports sent. "I have been a SWL/Ham since my early teens.....Good hunting!"

The format for CKEC is country music. Reception reports may be sent to Mr. Lann at: 84 Provost Street, Box 519, New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Canada, B2H 5E7. E-mail reception reports may also be submitted to plann [at] ckec.com. NOTE: All requests for written verifications must be accompanied by return postage in order to receive a reply.

Jim Pogue and Saul Chernos
IRCA/NRC Joint Broadcast Test Committee

WGCR 720 NC to Test New Transmitter Tonight

2008-01-31T01:34:00.000Z

Late breaking news via the IRCA Mailing List:

I have been asked to pass this info along to some DX lists by Bill Hale, who in turn got it from Frank Welch.

WGCR 720 Pisgah Forest NC has a CP for D1 25000 CH 15000. According to Frank: "They announced this afternoon Jan. 30th that they would be bringing up their new 25000/15000 transmitter tonight at 2400 EST. Expected to transmit tones only from what the announcer said. I have been trying to hear them while listening to their web site. Also the transmitter is able to go to 50kw...." The "new" transmitter is actually a used unit. Needless to say, the test will be non-directional and should get out over a wide area.

As the messenger, I must stress that I know nothing about whether the station will QSL this test, nor do I know who to contact.

73,
Bill Dvorak
Madison WI

CFFX DX Test Final Report

2008-01-28T00:17:00.000Z

Wow! What a good test this turned out to be. In spite of marginal conditions, the last few hours of CFFX on 960 kHz made it to both the east and west coast and even to Scotland. Only the southwest and the deep south appear to have been left out. A look at the CFFX daytime pattern explains why - a pretty significant null toward the south.

As with the KKMO test, the CFFX test was heard in Europe. Special congratulations this time go to Paul Crankshaw in Troon Scotland, who caught a couple Morse code IDs. The test also made it to the North American west coast.

Without further ado, here is the lengthy list of those who logged the swan song of CFFX-AM:

Konnie Rychalsky - Southwestern CT
Dave Lang - Waterford CT
Curtis Sadowski - Paxton IL
Tom Jasinski - Shorewood IL
Frank Zane - Downers Grove (Chicago) IL
Mark Connelly - Billerica MA
Joe Miller - Southeastern MI
George Sherman - MN
Paul LaFreniere - Grand Marais MN
Joe Wozniak - St. Louis MO
Dave Hockfelder - Albany NY
Stephen Howe - Albany NY
Ken Chatterton - Mannville NY
Jerry Bond - Rochester NY
Scott Fybush - Suffern NY
Joe Perge - Newark OH
Patrick Martin - Seaside OR
Brett Saylor - State College PA
Steve Francis - Alcoa, TN
Jim Pogue, Memphis TN
Kevin Satya - Bainbridge Island WA
Bill Dvorak - Madison WI
Tim Noonan - Oak Creek WI
Nigel Pimblett - Dunmore AB
Nick Hall-Patch, Victoria BC
Walter Salmaniw - Victoria BC
Saul Chernos - Burnt River ON
Jeff Falconer - Clinton ON
Robert Ross - London ON
Mark Gerwlivch - Markham ON
Mike Brooker - Toronto ON
Niel Wolfish - Toronto ON
Barry McLarnon - Ottawa ON
Paul Crankshaw - Troon, Scotland
Steve Whitt - Scotland

Sometimes the Internet is a key ally. Frank Schuettig in Bali, Indonesia tuned in this test remotely via a DX Tuner in Illinois. The international aspect our tests are taking on is great, and we encourage more of our European compatriots to give future tests a try.

Even if you weren't able to hear the test, we send a big thank-you to those who tried and continue to support our efforts, including: Bill Block-AZ, Frank Aden-ID, Bob Foxworth-FL, Tim Hall-CA, Steve Ratzlaff-OR, Martin Foltz-CA, Fred Nordquist-SC, Patrick Griffith-CO, J.D. Stephens-AL, Bruce Winkelman-OK, Bruce Portzer-WA, Barry Davies in the UK and Bjarne Mjelde in Berlevag (Arctic Norway) who heard CFAC and KMA but not CFFX.

After a very brief dry spell, we've added a couple of more tests to the calendar, plus several more are still very much in the works. Remember to keep checking the DXTESTS.INFO Web site frequently and listen to the BTC Podcasts for news and late-breaking developments.

Finally, if you can reach out to one or more stations in your area and encourage them to consider doing a DX test, please do so. Many hands.. and all that.

Saul Chernos and Jim Pogue

For the IRCA/NRC Joint Broadcast Test Committee

WBIX 1060 kHz Natick (Boston) Massachusetts DX Test

2008-01-19T01:05:00.000Z

Date: Sunday morning (late Saturday night), Feb. 24, 2008.
Time: Midnight - 2:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, 0500 - 0700 UTC.
Mode of Operation: The station will conduct the test at 40,000 watts power using their two-tower daytime antenna pattern.
Programming: Programming will include a one-hour CD of Todd Rundgren Music with Morse code, sweep tones and announcements every 10 minutes or so.

QSL Information: The Broadcast Test Committee will be handling all reception reports and verifications for this test. Both eQSL service and traditional paper QSLs will be offered. Recordings on disk in .mp3 or .wav format, audio files via e-mail or cassette recordings will be accepted as proof of reception. Send reception reports and recordings to:

IRCA/NRC Joint BTC,
Attn: WBIX DX Test,
P.O. Box 3777,
Memphis, TN 38173-0777 USA.

E-mail reports and audio files may be sent to: KH2AR [at] comcast.net. The station is particularly interested in knowing the receiving equipment and antennas listeners use to hear the test.

NOTE: All requests for paper verifications must be accompanied by return postage in order to receive a reply.

Our sincere thanks to WBIX Chief Engineer Grady Moates for agreeing to conduct this test, and to BTC member Paul B. Walker Jr. for his persistent efforts to arrange it.

WKDK 1240 kHz Newberry, SC DX Test

2008-01-18T05:16:00.000Z

Date: Monday morning (late Sunday night), February 11, 2008.
Time: Midnight - 12:30 a.m. Eastern Time (0500-0530 UTC).
Mode of Operation: 1,000 watts non-directional pattern.
Notes: The test, hosted by our own Powell E. Way III - W4OPW, will consist of phonetic voice IDs, Morse code, sweep tones and unique music. Powell will also take pre-paid telephone calls at (803) 276-2957.

QSL Information: Reception reports may be sent to:

Powell E. Way III,
WKDK Radio,
P.O. Box 753,
Newberry, SC 29108.

The station will accept audio recordings on disk (.mp3 or .wav files), or cued up cassettes. E-mail reports to W4OPW [at] yahoo.com are OK but NO AUDIO FILES via e-mail due to bandwidth restrictions.

NOTE: All requests for verifications must be accompanied by return postage in order to receive a reply.

Our sincere thanks to Powell and the management at WKDK for agreeing to conduct this test.