Posts Tagged ‘CLE’

CLE190 Logs

YJ-200KHz - Victoria Int'l
Listeners towards the central and southern portions of North America reported phenomenally good conditions this weekend, most unusual for a CLE event! Out west and here in BC, conditions were not noticeably enhanced and could best be described as kind of 'mushy' ... most signals were a struggle. The further south you went, the better the propagation became.




CFL Crud
Unfortunately, I am still struggling with noise pollution (cheap or failing CFLs) in a house about ten properties away, creating a constant 60 Hz hum and drifting birdies throughout the band ... as it was during the last CLE. Hopefully the owners of the home will return before the next CLE arrives!

25 04:00  198      DIW       Dixon, NC, USA
24 06:00  200     YJ          Victoria - Sidney Island, BC, CAN
24 04:00  200     YDL       Dease Lake, BC, CAN
25 07:00  200     UAB       Anahim Lake, BC, CAN
24 04:00  201     ZWN      Winnipeg, MB, CAN
24 12:00  201      IP           Lufthansa, AZ, USA
24 07:00  201      GV         Greenville, TX, USA

26 05:40  201      YVZ      Deer Lake, ON, CA
24 06:00  203     ZKI        Kitimat, BC, CAN
24 06:00  203     YBL       Campbell River, BC, CAN
24 06:00  203     TCY       Tracy Municipal Apt, CA, USA
24 04:00  204     ZQR       Regina, SK, CAN
24 11:00   205      XZ          Wawa, ON, CAN
24 04:00  205     COR      Corcoran, CA, USA
24 04:00  206     SOW      Show Low Regional Apt, AZ, USA
24 04:00  206     EF          Castlegar, BC, CAN
24 04:00  207     YNE        Norway House, MB, CAN
24 04:00  207     PY          Fort Chipewyan, AB, CAN
24 07:00  209     ITR         Burlington, CO, USA
24 04:00  209     IB            Atikokan, ON, CAN
25 14:00   209     HGT       Tusi AHP, CA, USA
24 04:00  209     CYT        Yakataga Apt, ALS
24 04:00  211     HDG       Gooding, ID, USA
24 04:00  212     YGX        Gillam, MB, CAN
25 04:00  212     MPZ        Mount Pleasant, IA, USA
24 04:00  212     CGL        Juneau, ALS
24 07:00  212     CFV        Coffeyville, KS, USA
24 04:00  214     LU           Abbotsford, BC, CAN
24 04:00  215     ZAB         Edmonton (Intl Apt), AB, CAN
24 11:00   215     TQH        Tahlequah, OK, USA
24 04:00  216     GRF        Fort Lewis, WA, USA
24 04:00  216     CLB        Wilmington, NC, USA
24 04:00  217     EC           Enoch, UT, USA
24 11:00   218      RL           Red Lake, ON, CAN
24 04:00  218     PR           Prince Rupert, BC, CAN
24 04:00  219     ZRS         Regina, SK, CAN
24 07:00  220     HLE         Hailey, ID, USA
24 04:00  221     QU          Grande Prairie, AB, CAN
24 04:00  222     WY          Wrigley, NT, CAN
24 04:00  223     YKA        Kamloops, BC, CAN
24 04:00  223     AFE         Kake Apt, ALS
25 11:00   224      MO          Moosonee, ON, CAN
24 04:00  224     DN          Dauphin, MB, CAN
25 04:00  225     X5           Vegreville, AB, CAN
24 04:00  225     LWG       Lewisburg - Corvallis, OR, USA
25 04:00  227     YAC        Cat Lake, ON, CAN
25 12:00   227     MHM       Minchumina, ALS
24 04:00  227     CG           Castlegar, BC, CAN
24 04:00  229     AKW       Klawock, ALS
24 06:00  230     YD           Smithers, BC, CAN
24 07:00  230     VG          Vermilion, AB, CAN
24 11:00   230     NRN       Norton, KS, USA
24 07:00  230     BI            Bismarck, ND, USA
24 07:00  233     QN          Nakina, ON, CAN
24 07:00  233     OKS       Oshkosh, NE, USA
25 14:00   233     LG          Seal Beach, CA, USA
24 04:00  233     BWP       Breckenridge, ND, USA
24 04:00  233     BR          Brandon, MB, CAN
25 12:00   233     AZN        Amazon, MO, USA
24 04:00  233     ALJ         Hinchinbrook Island, ALS
25 04:00  235     CN         Cochrane, ON, CAN
25 04:00  236     ZRJ        Round Lake, ON, CAN
24 04:00  236     YZA       Ashcroft, BC, CAN
24 04:00  236     FOR       Forsyth, MT, USA
24 04:00  238     MPA      Nampa, ID, USA
24 04:00  239     OJ          High Level, AB, CAN
25 04:00  381.5   SJX       St James, MI, USA


Listening for NDBs is a practical way to check out your LF receive capability, should you be interested in developing a good 630m station or in following the nuances of night-to-night MF propagation.

The Sun, QRM and CLE189

Courtesy: http://www.solen.info/solar/
Those of you following the CLE low frequency NDB listening events, will know that this past one was longer than usual, running from December 25th to January 6th. Once again, the sun demonstrated its nasty-side, right on schedule. Conditions from this part of the continent were dreadful, while others, further to the south, were not as badly affected.

The cause of the poor propagation was a continual coronal hole stream, from a very large area in the sun's southern regions, as shown here. Now it appears that Coronal Hole 649, in the north, is about to swing into a geoeffective position, and take over the task of disrupting propagation.

CLE189 covered the range of 275-425KHz, with the objective of logging at least one beacon (preferrably the farthest one) on each available channel (150 in total). There are a number of channels that have no NDBs as well as many that get completely clobbered by 1 Kw DGPS (digital QRM) navigation signals along the coasts and the Great Lakes. Additionaly, I was fighting the new noisemaker in my neighborhood, which has yet to be eliminated.

Here is a screen shot of my Perseus receiver, showing the crud being generated...every 60Hz and never constant...drifting in and out of the desired passband continually. The only way to hear signals was to wait until there was a short hole created by the drifters going by. I will be happy when this is issue is finally resolved.

My log shows 111 stations in total, a surprising number, considering the poor propagation and the QRM. If anything, this demonstrates just what a superb receiver the Perseus SDR is:

29 01:26 275 HIN 1053 Whitney - Chadron Muni Apt, NE, USA
31 13:00 277 ACE 1344 Kachemak - Homer Apt, ALS
31 15:00 278 1U 521 Masset Municipal Apt, BC, CAN
31 15:00 280 GYZ 1005 Camp Guernsey - Guernsey, WY, USA
31 15:00 281 CRN 1510 Cairn Mtn - Sparrevohn LRRS, ALS
31 15:00 283 DUT 1867 Dutch Harbor - Unalaska Apt, ALS
29 09:00 284 QD 1014 The Pas Municipal Apt, MB, CAN
31 04:00 286 EKS 600 Ennis - Big Sky Apt, MT, USA
29 09:00 287 ZWG 1168 Winnipeg, MB, CAN
29 09:00 290 YYF 171 Penticton, BC, CAN
29 09:00 292 ZET 518 Devon - Edmonton IAP, AB, CAN
29 09:00 293 MB 18 Mill Bay - Sidney, BC, CAN
29 09:00 295 8C 537 Fairview Municipal Apt, AB, CAN
31 15:00 296 LGD 349 La Grande, OR, USA
29 09:00 299 TV 417 Turner Valley, AB, CAN
29 09:00 300 YIV 1272 Island Lake Apt, MB, CAN
29 09:00 302 QW 705 North Battleford, SK, CAN
29 09:00 304 FH 485 Mc Leod (Whitecourt), AB, CAN
29 09:00 305 YQ 1362 Churchill / Eastern Creek, MB, CAN
29 06:00 308 ZZD 515 Calmar (Edmonton Intl Apt), AB, CAN
29 08:00 311 9Y 421 Pincher Creek, AB, CAN
29 08:00 312 UNT 173 Naramata, BC, CAN
31 08:00 317 VC 873 La Ronge, SK, CAN
29 12:00 320 YQF 469 Red Deer - Penhold, AB, CAN
29 12:00 323 HJH 1393 Hebron Municipal Apt, NE, USA
31 06:00 325 YJQ 312 Bella Bella (Campbell Island), BC, CAN
29 12:00 326 DC 131 Princeton Municipal Apt, BC, CAN
29 07:00 328 YTL 1465 Big Trout Lake, ON, CAN
29 12:00 329 YEK 1414 Arviat, NU, CAN
02 09:00 330 2A 1147 South Indian Lake Apt, MB, CAN
29 13:00 332 POA 2681 Pahoa - Hawaii Island, HWA
29 09:00 333 STI 540 'Sturgeon' Mountain Home, ID, USA
29 09:00 334 YER 1560 Fort Severn, ON, CAN
29 09:00 335 YLD 1813 Chapleau - Devon, ON, CAN
29 12:00 336 LF 1167 La Salle, MB, CAN
29 09:00 337 7D 956 Hudson Bay, SK, CAN
29 08:00 338 RYN 1316 Ryan Field Apt - Tucson, AZ, USA
29 09:00 339 6X 1237 York Landing, MB, CAN
29 09:00 340 YY 2452 Mont Joli, QC, CAN
31 15:00 341 ELF 1710 Elfee - Cold Bay, ALS
29 12:00 342 PFT 1232 Piney - Pinecreek Border Apt, MN, USA
29 12:00 343 YZH 571 Slave Lake Municipal Apt, AB, CAN
29 14:00 344 FCH 857 Chandler - Fresno, CA, USA
29 09:00 346 YXL 1401 Sioux Lookout Municipal Apt, ON, CAN
29 09:00 347 PA 814 Prince Albert, SK, CAN
29 12:00 348 MNC 112 'Mason Co' Shelton, WA, USA
29 09:00 349 GW 1999 'Teock' Greenwood, MS, USA
29 08:00 350 RG 1604 GALLY - Oklahoma City, OK, USA
31 08:00 351 YKQ 1948 Waskaganish, QC, CAN
29 09:00 353 LLD 2684 Lanai - Lanai Island, HWA
29 09:00 355 YWP 1572 Webequie, ON, CAN
29 09:00 356 ZF 995 Yellowknife, NT, CAN
29 09:00 358 SIT 750 Sitka - Biorka Island, ALS
29 09:00 359 SDY 879 Sidney, MT, USA
29 09:00 360 SW 1267 'Roadd' Warroad, MN, USA
29 09:00 361 E3 630 Wabasca, AB, CAN
29 09:00 362 YZS 1807 Coral Harbour, NU, CAN
29 09:00 364 4D 735 Helmet, BC, CAN
29 09:00 365 HQG 1362 Hugoton Municipal Apt, KS, USA
29 07:00 366 YMW 2179 Maniwaki, QC, CAN
29 09:00 367 R5 1038 Pukatawagan Apt, MB, CAN
02 10:00 368 PNM 1402 Princeton Municipal Apt, MN, USA
29 13:00 370 YBV 1169 Berens River Apt, MB, CAN
29 09:00 371 GW 1946 Jarpik - Kuujjuarapik, QC, CAN
29 09:00 372 ZPA 824 Glass (Prince Albert), SK, CAN
29 09:00 373 TF 1191 ARUBA - Pueblo Mem Apt, CO, USA
29 13:00 374 LV 776 REIGA - Livermore, CA, USA
29 09:00 375 BM 1163 Balmoral, MB, CAN
29 09:00 376 YAG 1345 Fort Frances, ON, CAN
29 09:00 377 EHA 1350 Elkhart - Morton County Apt, KS, USA
29 12:00 378 OT 381 EMIRE - North Bend, OR, USA
29 09:00 379 YBE 945 Uranium City, SK, CAN
29 09:00 380 OEL 1297 Oakley Municipal Apt, KS, USA
29 09:00 382 YPL 1461 Pickle Lake, ON, CAN
29 09:00 383 CNP 1146 Chappell, NE, USA
29 09:00 384 3F 792 Ile-a-la-crosse, SK, CAN
29 15:00 385 EHM 1693 Cape Newenham LRRS Apt, ALS
29 09:00 386 HAU 558 Hauser - Helena, MT, USA
02 09:00 387 CAV 1473 Clarion, IA, USA
29 08:00 388 AM 2596 'Picny' Tampa, FL, USA
29 13:00 389 CSB 1275 Harry Strunk - Cambridge Muni, NE, USA
29 10:00 390 HBT 1620 Borland - Sand Point Apt, ALS
29 09:00 391 DDP 3772 Dorado - Vega Baja, PTR
29 12:00 392 XVG 1344 Longville, MN, USA
29 09:00 393 BR 2101 'Depoo' Brownsville, TX, USA
29 09:00 394 RWO 1333 Woody Island - Kodiak, ALS
29 09:00 395 ULS 1342 Ulysses Apt, KS, USA
29 09:00 396 YPH 1923 Inukjuak Apt, QC, CAN
29 09:00 397 ZSS 760 Yellowhead (Saskatoon), SK, CAN
29 09:00 398 3D 965 Cumberland House, SK, CAN
29 09:00 399 ZHD 1371 'Thunder' Dryden, ON, CAN
29 09:00 400 FN 1071 COLLN - Fort Collins, CO, USA
29 09:00 400 CKN 1220 Crookston, MN, USA
29 09:00 401 YPO 1644 Peawanuck Apt, ON, CAN
29 09:00 402 L4 888 Nipawin, SK, CAN
29 13:00 403 AZC 971 Colorado City Municipal Apt, AZ, USA
29 15:00 404 GCR 1185 Glacier River - Cordova Apt, ALS
29 14:00 405 2K 538 Camrose, AB, CAN
29 09:00 406 YLJ 725 Meadow Lake, SK, CAN
29 08:00 407 CO 1157 PETEY - Fountain, CO, USA
29 09:00 408 MW 221 PELLY - Moses Lake, WA, USA
29 10:00 408 JDM 1270 Wheatfield - Colby, KS, USA
29 12:00 410 GDV 860 Glendive - Dawson Comm Apt, MT, USA
29 09:00 412 1W 996 Sandy Bay, SK, CAN
29 12:00 413 YHD 1361 Dryden Regional, ON, CAN
29 09:00 414 GRN 1094 Gordon, NE, USA
29 09:00 415 CBC 3129 Cayman Brac - West End, CYM
29 09:00 417 IY 1508 CHUKK - Floyd, IA, USA
29 09:00 419 RYS 1975 Detroit / Grosse Ile, MI, USA
29 09:00 420 FQ 1422 MONTZ - East Chain, MN, USA
29 09:00 421 VLY 1721 McKenney, TX, USA


Once again, the 10' x 20' loop was employed for the entire affair, surviving two bad wind storms during the listening event.

Loop..Perseus..and CLE188

10' x 20' LF Loop

As is usually the case, conditions deteriorated rapidly as the CLE weekend approached. Conditions varied throughout North America as those listening from the south-eastern regions of the U.S. reported much better propagation than those further to the northwest. Friday night appeared to be the best of the lot but all three nights were very much less than stellar.

The three-night event produced a total of 39 NDBs, with a couple of surprises.






DD UTC    kHz     Call       mi   Location
----------------------------------------------------------


22 05:00  370     YBV        1169 Berens River Apt, MB, CAN
22 06:59  370     OUN        1611 UoOk Westheimer Apt, OK, USA
22 05:00  371     YK         211  Yakima, WA, USA
23 09:00  371     PUR        1629 Marshall, MO, USA
22 05:00  371     ITU        558  Great Falls, MT, USA
22 05:00  371     GW         1946 Kuujjuarapik, QC, CAN
22 05:00  372     ZPA        824  Prince Albert, SK, CAN
22 05:00  372     YCO        1340 Coppermine, NU, CAN
22 05:12  372     FPN        675  Petersburg, ALS
22 07:00  373     TF         1191 Pueblo Mem Apt, CO, USA
22 05:00  373     MF         444  Table Rock, OR, USA
22 05:00  374     LV         776  Livermore, CA, USA
22 05:00  374     EX         190  Kelowna, BC, CAN
23 09:00  374     EE         1319 Forada, MN, USA
22 05:00  374     BOD        942  Bowman, ND, USA
24 09:59  375     PSN        1854 Palestine, TX, USA
22 05:00  375     FS         896  Fort Simpson, NT, CAN
22 10:59  375     DW         1629 Owasso, OK, USA
22 07:00  375     CP         900  Casper, WY, USA
22 05:00  375     BD         803  Moose Jaw, SK, CAN
22 07:00  376     ZIN        3326 Matthew Town, BAH
22 07:00  376     YAG        1345 Fort Frances, ON, CAN
22 13:59  376     PVQ        1690 Deadhorse, ALS
22 06:59  377     EHA        1350 Elkhart, KS, USA
23 06:59  378     ZFA        1000 Faro Municipal Apt, YT, CAN
22 05:00  378     OT         381  North Bend, OR, USA
22 10:59  379     ZEG        526  Edmonton Intl, AB, CAN
22 05:00  379     YBE        945  Uranium City, SK, CAN
23 12:59  379     IWW        1360 Kenai, ALS
22 09:00  380     OEL        1297 Oakley, KS, USA
22 05:00  380     GC         899  Gillette, WY, USA
22 05:00  382     YPW        86   Powell River, BC, CAN
22 05:00  382     YE         686  Fort Nelson, BC, CAN
22 12:59  382     JNR        1731 Unalakleet, ALS
22 12:00  382     GRN        1522 Guerro Negro, MEX
22 05:00  382     AW         75   Marysville, WA, USA
22 06:59  383     PI         658  Pocatello, ID, USA
22 05:20  383     CNP        1146 Chappell, NE, USA
22 05:00  384     3F         792  Ile-a-la-crosse, SK, CAN
-----------------------------------------------------------------


This particular frequency range (370-384.9kHz) is a tough one for me, since my local pest signal, 'AP' is on 378kHz, smack in the middle of the listening range. 'AP's antenna is just .4 miles (2100') from my antenna and its signal is about 60db over S9.... Very loud!

AP to me...Courtesy: https://www.google.ca/maps/
The new 10' x 20' rotatable loop continues to work well. When pointed towards the east, it offers significant nulling of AP's signal and when carefully aligned to the deepest null-point, reduces the signal by almost 30db...but still leaves a very strong signal.

Using this 'deep null' position, I was (somewhat surprisingly) able to log another Canadian NDB (ZFA  Mayo Airprt, Yukon Territory) on the same frequency as AP. The ident-tone modulation frequencies are separated by 10Hz (408Hz vs 418Hz) which was enough to allow the very narrow ~3Hz Perseus filtering, combined with two notch filters, to reveal the 'ZFA' identifier between the 'AP' identifier. Listen for the weak 'ZFA' ident after the loud keying artifacts of 'AP', when they are transmitting just a steady tone.



The other surprise was the logging of 'PVQ' in Deadhorse, Alaska, way up on the extreme northern slope oil fields.

Courtesy: https://www.google.ca/maps/
My last reception of this beacon was in March and conditions usually have to be very quiet, geomagnetically, to hear it at all. The coronal-hole streaming of this past weekend, putting the damper on LF propagation, makes this path very unlikely and surprising! See if you can hear the weak 'PVQ' identifier during its short appearance early on Saturday morning:


CLE organizer, Brian Keyte (G3SIA), reports 51 participants worldwide and over 2100 reception reports. All reports have been added to the RNA/REU beacon database.

As well, Brian will be publishing all results on the NDB Information page shortly.

All-in-all CLE188 was another enjoyable event....hopefully conditions will be better by this time next month and if you did not participate, maybe you will give it a try next time!

Hunting For NDBs In CLE188


 Courtesy: http://americanradiohistory.com/
And...once again it's time for the monthly Co-ordinted Listening Event (CLE) for NDB hunters....the 188th event. These always interesting and popular affairs take place over three nights, with this one starting on Friday, November 21st at local noon and running until Monday, November 24th, local noon.








These listening events serve several purposes. They:
  • determine, worldwide, which beacons are actually in service and on-the-air so the online database can be kept up-to-date
  • determine, worldwide, which beacons are out-of-service or have gone silent since the last CLE covering this range
  • will indicate the state of propagation conditions at the various participant locations
  • will give you an indication of how well your LF/MF receiving system is working
  • give participants a fun yet challenging activity to keep their listening skills honed
This time, it's a normal event, focusing on a small (~ 15kHz) section of the NDB band. Here are the details from event organizer, Brian Keyte (G3SIA):


Hi all,

The CLE Survey results are so interesting I almost forgot to send this!

Please join us in our 188th Co-ordinated Listening Event which starts
this Friday. All are very welcome - 'Regulars' and 'First-Timers' alike.
CLEs are not contests - if you enjoy taking part you are a winner!

Days: Friday 21st - Monday 24th November
Times: Start and end at midday, your LOCAL TIME
Range: 370 - 384.9 kHz

Just log all the NDBs that you can identify with their nominal (listed)
frequencies in the range (it includes 370 kHz, but not 385 kHz)
plus any UNIDs that you come across there.

Please send your CLE log to the List in a plain text email if possible
(not in an attachment) with CLE188 at the start of its title.
Show on each log line:

# The date (e.g. 2014-11-21, etc., or just 21) and UTC.
(the date changes at 00:00 UTC)
# kHz (the nominal published frequency, if known)
# The Call Ident.

Please show those main items FIRST - other optional details such as
Location and Distance go LATER in the same line.
If you send interim logs, please also send a 'Final' (complete) log.

As always, tell us your own location and brief details of the equipment
that you were using during the weekend.

I'll send the usual 'Any More Logs?' email at about 18:00 UTC on
Tuesday - you can check from it that your log has been found OK.
All logs must arrive on the list by 09:00 UTC on Wednesday 26th
at the very latest.
I hope the combined results will be completed on that day.

To help your listening, seeklists are available via the CLE page
http://www.ndblist.info/cle.htm

Good listening - enjoy the CLE
Brian
----------------------------------------------------------
From: Brian Keyte G3SIA ndbcle'at'gmail.com
Location: Surrey, SE England (CLE co-ordinator)
----------------------------------------------------------

(If you wish you could use any one remote receiver for your loggings,
stating the location and owner - with their permission if required.
A remote listener may NOT also use another receiver, local or remote,
to make further loggings for the same CLE).


Final details can be found at the NDB List website, and worldwide results, for every participant, will be posted there a few days after the event.

The very active Yahoo ndblist Group is a great place to learn more about the 'Art of NDB DXing' or to meet other listeners in your region. There is a lot of good information available there and new members are always very welcome.

If you are contemplating getting started on 630m, listening for NDBs  is an excellent way to test out your receive capabilities as there are several NDBs located near this part of the spectrum.

You need not be an ndblist member to participate in the CLEs and all reports, no matter how small, are of much value to the organizers. 

Reports may be sent to the ndblist or e-mailed to either myself or CLE co- ordinator, Brian Keyte (G3SIA).

Please...don't be shy and do give the CLE a try....then let us know what NDB's can be heard from your location! Your report can then be added to the worldwide database.

New Loop, Perseus and CLE187 Results

The weekend CLE event described in an earlier blogpost provided the first real opportunity to put my new LF loop to the test. Actually, it has already passed the most important test...surviving a large 60+ mph windstorm, while I was away on a short vacation. Unfortunately, a 60' Douglas Fir, just a few feet from the loop, blew completely down...thankfully, over the bank, in the other direction. Cleaning it up will take a few weeks but should provide some good firewood as well as exercise.


Before leaving, I tied the end arms of the loop down just in case it might get windy, but it seems that the light PVC frame does not produce the same windage as my large wooden 10' loop frame.

Beacons logged over the three-night event:

DX BEACONS
 
2014-10-25 0600 198 DIW Dixon, NC
2014-10-25 1100 205 XZ Wawa, ON
2014-10-25 1100 209 IB Atikokan, ON
2014-10-25 1100 212 YGX Gillam, MB
2014-10-26 0700 215 AT Watertown, SD
2014-10-25 0600 216 CLB Willmington, NC
2014-10-25 1100 233 QN Nakina, ON
2014-10-26 0700 233 BWP Brekenridge, ND
2014-10-25 1100 242 EL El Paso, TX
2014-10-25 0700 245 YZE Gore Bay, ON
2014-10-26 0700 245 FS Siuox Falls, SD
2014-10-27 1230 248 GLA Gulkana, AK
2014-10-25 1330 251 OSE Bethel, AK
2014-10-26 0700 251 AM Amarillo, TX
2014-10-26 0700 253 GB Marshall, MN
2014-10-25 1100 254 EV Inuvik, NT
2014-10-26 0700 256 TQK Scott City, KS
2014-10-26 0700 257 SAZ Staples, MN
2014-10-25 1100 258 ZSJ Sandy Lake, ON
2014-10-26 0700 260 AVZ Terrell, TX
2014-10-26 0700 263 ZQT Thunder Bay, ON
2014-10-25 0700 264 ZPB Sachigo Lake, ON
2014-10-25 1330 270 FA Apia, SMO
2014-10-26 0600 272 GP Grand Rapids, MN
2014-10-27 0700 272 LD Lubbock, TX
2014-10-27 0800 272 GLS Galapagos, GAL
2014-10-26 0700 274 RG Red Wing, MN
2014-10-27 1330 275 CZF Cape Romanzof, AK
2014-10-26 0700 276 YEL Elliot Lake, ON
2014-10-26 1232 277 ACE Homer, AK
2014-10-25 1100 278 NM Matagami, QC
2014-10-25 1300 281 CRN Sparrevohn, AK
2014-10-26 0700 282 ROS Rush City, MN
2014-10-27 1330 283 DUT Dutch Harbor, AK
2014-10-25 1100 300 YIV Island Lake, MB
2014-10-25 1000 305 YQ Churchill, MB
2014-10-26 0700 323 HJH Hebron, NE
2014-10-25 0600 326 MA Midland, TX
2014-10-26 0700 326 FO Topeka, KS
2014-10-26 0700 326 LTU Spencer, IA
2014-10-25 1330 327 VYI Kahului, HI
2014-10-26 0700 327 JMR Mora, MN
2014-10-26 0700 329 YEK Arviat, NU
2014-10-26 0700 330 PWC Pine River, MN
2014-10-25 1330 332 POA Pahoa, HI
2014-10-26 0700 332 FIS Key West, FL
2014-10-25 0600 335 YLD Chapleau, ON
2014-10-26 0700 337 FF Fergus Falls, MN
2014-10-26 1232 338 CMQ Campbell Lake, AK
2014-10-26 1232 338 RYN Tucson, AZ
2014-10-26 0700 340 YY Mont Joli, QC
2014-10-25 1300 341 ELF Cold Bay, AK
2014-10-26 0700 341 OIN Oberlin, KS
2014-10-26 0800 344 ZIY Georgetown, CYM
2014-10-25 0600 346 YXL Sioux Lookout, ON
2014-10-25 0600 346 YKQ Waskaganish, ON
2014-10-25 1300 346 OLT Soldotna, AK
2014-10-26 0700 347 YK Yankton, SD
2014-10-25 1100 350 RG Oklahoma City, OK
2014-10-25 1200 350 VTR McGrath, AK
2014-10-25 1330 353 LLD Lanai, HI
2014-10-26 0700 353 IN International Falls, MN
2014-10-25 0600 355 YWP Webequie, ON
2014-10-26 1300 355 AUB King Salmon, AK
2014-10-25 1000 356 ODX Ord, NE
2014-10-27 1230 359 ANI Aniak, AK
2014-10-25 0600 360 SW Warroad, MN
2014-10-25 0500 362 YZS Coral Harbor, NU
2014-10-25 0500 365 HQG Hugoton, KS
2014-10-25 0500 365 PAL Palma, EQA
2014-10-25 0600 366 YMW Maniwaki, QC
2014-10-25 1300 366 PNI Pohnpei, FSM
2014-10-26 0700 368 PNM Princeton, MN
2014-10-26 0700 368 PHG Phillipsburg, KS
2014-10-25 0600 370 OUN Norman, OK
2014-10-25 1100 371 GW Kuujjuarapik, QC
2014-10-26 0700 371 MD Bemidji, MN
2014-10-25 1330 373 HHI Wahiawa, HI
2014-10-26 0700 374 EE Alexandria, MN
2014-10-25 1100 376 YAG Fort Frances, ON
2014-10-26 0700 376 ZIN Matthew Town, BAH
2014-10-26 0700 377 EHA Elkhart, KS
2014-10-25 1300 379 IWW Kenai, AK
2014-10-26 0700 379 OW Owatonna, MN
2014-10-26 0700 380 OEL Oakley, KS
2014-10-26 0700 380 BBD Brady, TX
2014-10-26 1000 380 UCY Cayajabos, CUB
2014-10-26 0700 382 YPL Pickle Lake, ON
2014-10-27 1330 382 JNR Unalkleet, AK
2014-10-25 1330 385 EHM Cape Newenham, AK
2014-10-26 0700 385 JD Belleville, IL
2014-10-25 0700 388 AM Tampa, FL
2014-10-26 0700 389 EN Kenosha, WI
2014-10-27 0700 389 CSB Cambridge, NE
2014-10-25 0600 390 HBT Borland, AK
2014-10-25 1000 391 DDP San Juan, PTR
2014-10-25 1300 392 AGZ Wagner, SD
2014-10-26 0700 392 ML Charlevoix, QC
2014-10-26 0700 392 AGZ Wagner, SD
2014-10-25 1330 393 UKS Kosrae Island, FSM
2014-10-26 0700 393 2M Opapimiskan Lake, ON
2014-10-27 1330 393 TOG Togiak, AK
2014-10-25 1100 395 RWO Kodiak, AK
2014-10-26 0700 395 ULS Ulysses, KS
2014-10-25 0600 396 YPH Inukjuak, QC
2014-10-26 0700 397 CIR Cairo, IL
2014-10-25 1100 399 ZHD Dryden, ON
2014-10-27 1330 399 SRI St. George, AK
2014-10-26 0700 400 PPI St. Paul, MN
2014-10-27 0700 400 AI Ardmore, OK
2014-10-25 0700 401 YPO Peawanuck, ON
2014-10-26 0700 407 ZHU Montreal, QC
2014-10-26 0700 407 OOC Natchitoches, LA
2014-10-27 0700 407 AQ Appleton, WI
2014-10-26 0700 408 JDM Colby, KS
2014-10-26 0700 410 DAO Fort Huachuca, AZ
2014-10-25 1300 411 ILI Iliama, AK
2014-10-26 0700 411 SDA Shenandoah, IA
2014-10-26 0700 412 CMY Sparta, WI
2014-10-26 0800 412 BWR Alpine, TX
2014-10-25 1100 413 YHD Dryden, ON
2014-10-26 0700 414 SU Sioux City, IA
2014-10-26 0700 414 MSD Mansfield, LA
2014-10-25 0600 415 CBC Cayman Brac, CYM
2014-10-26 0700 416 LB North Platte, NE
2014-10-25 1000 417 IY Charles City, IA
2014-10-26 0700 418 CW Lake Charles, LA
2014-10-26 0700 419 RYS Detroit, MI
2014-10-26 0700 420 FQ Fairmont, MN
2014-10-25 1100 421 VLY McKinney, TX
2014-10-26 0700 422 EA Kearney, NE
2014-10-25 1000 428 POH Pochahontas, IA
2014-10-25 1000 434 SLB Storm Lake, IA
2014-10-25 1000 512 HMY Lexington, OK
2014-10-26 0700 515 PN Ponca City, OK
2014-10-26 0700 516 YWA Petewawa, ONT
2014-10-25 1000 521 ORC Orange City, IA
2014-10-25 0800 525 ICW Nenana, AK

HOME BEACONS

2014-10-27 1300 200 5M Sparwood, BC
2014-10-27 1300 200 YJ Victoria, BC
2014-10-27 1300 203 YBL Campbell River, BC
2014-10-27 1300 203 ZKI Kitimat, BC
2014-10-27 1300 206 EF Castlegar, BC
2014-10-27 1300 214 LU Abbotsford, BC
2014-10-27 1300 218 PR Prince Rupert, BC
2014-10-27 1300 223 YKA Kamloops, BC
2014-10-27 1300 227 CG Castlegar, BC
2014-10-27 1300 230 YD Smithers, BC
2014-10-27 1300 236 YZA Ashcroft, BC
2014-10-27 1300 242 XC Cranbrook, BC
2014-10-27 1300 242 ZT Port Hardy, BC
2014-10-27 1300 246 ZXJ Fort St. John, BC
2014-10-27 1300 248 ZZP Sandspit, BC
2014-10-27 1300 250 2J Grand Forks, BC
2014-10-27 1300 251 YCD Nanaimo, BC
2014-10-27 1300 257 LW Kelowna, NC
2014-10-27 1300 260 YSQ Atlin, BC
2014-10-27 1300 260 ZXS Prince George, BC
2014-10-27 1300 261 D6 Fairmont Hot Springs, BC
2014-10-27 1300 266 VR Vancouver, BC
2014-10-27 1300 269 YK Castlegar, BC
2014-10-27 1300 272 XS Prince George, BC
2014-10-27 1300 278 1U Masset, BC
2014-10-27 1300 290 YYF Penticton, BC
2014-10-27 1300 293 MB Victoria, BC
2014-10-27 1300 312 UNT Naramata, BC
2014-10-27 1300 325 YJQ Bella Bella, BC
2014-10-27 1300 326 DC Princeton, BC
2014-10-27 1300 326 XJ Fort St. John, BC
2014-10-27 1300 332 WC White Rock, BC
2014-10-27 1300 332 XT Terrace, BC
2014-10-27 1300 344 XX Abbotsford, BC
2014-10-27 1300 346 N9 Tumbler Ridge, BC
2014-10-27 1300 350 NY Enderby, BC
2014-10-27 1300 356 ON Penticton, BC
2014-10-27 1300 359 YQZ Quesnel, BC
2014-10-27 1300 364 4D Helmet, BC
2014-10-27 1300 368 SX Cranbrook, BC
2014-10-27 1300 368 ZP Sandspit, BC
2014-10-27 1300 368 ZVR Vancouver, BC
2014-10-27 1300 374 EX Kelowna, BC
2014-10-27 1300 378 AP Mayne Island, BC
2014-10-27 1300 382 YE Fort Nelson, BC
2014-10-27 1300 382 YPW Powell River, BC
2014-10-27 1300 385 WL Williams Lke, BC
2014-10-27 1300 389 YWB Kelowna, BC
2014-10-27 1300 391 TK Smithers, BC
2014-10-27 1300 394 DQ Dawson Creek, BC
2014-10-27 1300 400 QQ Comox, BC
2014-10-27 1300 414 YZK Kamloops, BC

Not heard:

UAB - 200 (probably on but hvy QRM)
YDL - 200 (probably on but hvy QRM)
M9 - 240
HE - 245
V6 - 280
2U - 284
3G - 330
B3 - 335
YAZ - 359
 
Highlights of the log include beacons from the Galapagos Islands (GLS-272kHz), Samoa (FA-270kHz), Cayman Islands (ZIY-344kHz), Guayas, Ecuador (PAL-365kHz), Pohnpei, Micronesia (PNI-366kHz), Matthew Town, Bahamas (ZIN-376kHz), Cayajabos, Cuba (UCY-380kHz), Kosrae Island, Micronesia (UKS-393kHz), two new Hawaiians and numerous first-time North American catches.
 
Needless to say, I am pleased with the way the new loop is performing. The loop and preamp appear to provide a measurable improvement in overall S/N compared with my large LF inverted 'L'. All listening was done using the Perseus SDR.

Hunting For NDBs In CLE187

VR-266 Vancouver Int'l (50W) - heard as far east as NC
How time flies...once again it's time for the monthly Co-ordinted Listening Event (CLE) for NDB hunters....the 187th event. These always interesting and popular affairs take place over three nights, with this one starting on Friday, October 24th at local noon and running until Monday, October 27th, local noon.

These listening events serve several purposes. They:
  • determine, worldwide, which beacons are actually in service and on-the-air so the online database can be kept up-to-date
  • determine, worldwide, which beacons are out-of-service or have gone silent since the last CLE covering this range
  • will indicate the state of propagation conditions at the various participant locations
  • will give you an indication of how well your LF/MF receiving system is working
  • give participants a fun yet challenging activity to keep their listening skills honed
This time, it's a two-part activity, should you decide to chase normal DX beacons as well as those from your own country or state/province. Here are the details. 

Days: Friday 24th October - Monday 27th October
Times: Midday on Friday to Midday on Monday, your LOCAL time
QRG: Normal LF/MF frequencies (190 - 1740 kHz)
NDBs: Normal DX and 'HOME' ones (not DGPS, Navtex or Amateur)

DX:
Please try to log NDBs that are over 2,000 km / 1,250 miles from you.
If you have a wall map in your shack, you could draw a circle on it.
It will be accurate if it is a great circle map centred on your location.
(There are other easy and very good ways to find which NDBs qualify
for you - I will describe them in the Final Details email)

HOME:
Please also try to log NDBs in YOUR OWN radio country. For listeners
in AUS, CAN and USA, that means your State or Province.
It will be trivial for a few of us in tiny radio countries, very challenging
for a listener in, e.g., RUS (Eu). Most of us should have a fair list to
try for.
If we also mention any of our home regulars NOT heard, it will help
others to know about NDBs that are not currently active.

If you report on both parts, DX and HOME, I suggest you put them in
separate parts of your log. As usual, any UNIDs that you come across
will also be of interest - in a third part of your log.



Final details can be found at the NDB List website, and worldwide results, for every participant, will be posted here a few days after the event.

The very active Yahoo ndblist Group is a great place to learn more about the 'Art of NDB DXing' or to meet other listeners in your region. There is a lot of good information available there and new members are always very welcome.

If you are contemplating getting started on 630m, listening for NDBs  is an excellent way to test out your receive capabilities as there are several NDBs located near this part of the spectrum.


You need not be an ndblist member to participate in the CLEs and all reports, no matter how small, are of much value to the organizers. 

Reports may be sent to the ndblist or e-mailed to either myself or CLE co- ordinator, Brian Keyte (G3SIA). It was very exciting to see two new reporters to last month's event after reading about the CLE right here. Hopefully there will be more first-time reporters for upcoming CLE187.

Please...don't be shy and do give the CLE a try....then let us know what NDB's can be heard from your location! Your report can then be added to the worldwide database.

CLE186 – Perils of Perseus

ZVR - 368 Vancouver -  Middle Marker Rnwy 08R - reported as far as California
Now that CLE186 has come and gone, worldwide results will soon be posted by e-mail (to all those submitting reports) as well as to the CLE website. CLE organizer and data-cruncher Brian Keyte (G3SIA), indicates that 50 logs (and over 2,000 reports) have been submitted, including two first-timers - Graham (VE3GTC) near Ottawa, ON and Hans (BX2ABT) in Taiwan. It's always great to see new activity, especially on LF!

As is usually the case with CLE's, propagation conditions begin to deteriorate shortly after the announcement of the upcoming event. By the weekend's arrival, conditions are usually much worse than earlier in the week and such was the case once again! In North America, lightning activity and mediocre propagation dominated the three-night event, with the consensus of opinion giving the nod to Saturday night and early Sunday morning as being the best period.

Courtesy: http://www.lightningmaps.org/

Here on Mayne Island, Friday night was pretty much a wash and only the stronger signals made it through the din and into the log. A twilight check on Saturday evening indicated improving propagation and less lightning, renewing optimism that the entire weekend would not be a wipeout.


Since purchasing the Perseus SDR earlier this year, I have been using it exclusively for the past few CLE's. I have been exploiting one of it's main features....the ability to record the entire band overnight and then tune through the band the next day, as in real time. I no longer had to prop my eyelids open until 0100 or later, or to leave a sound sleep to journey out to a cold shack to hunt the pre-sunrise band for anything new....yes, Perseus has made it possible to DX while I sleep!

Now the very concept of this horrifies many of the 'purists' and I myself held-out for several years before venturing over to the darkside...but...embracing new technology along with its associated new learning is what is important. If I get to sleep-in because of it, even better!

So....that's the way it is supposed to work, but due to operator error, Perseus failed to launch on Saturday night, and the best conditions of the CLE were missed altogether. Having seen the error in my ways, the perils of Perseus will, hopefully, not strike again!

Conditions on Sunday night were noisy once again, although not as bad as Friday, and the following log was gathered after parsing through my overnight recordings.

                                      09 27 0400 350 NY  Enderby, BC
                            09 29 0900 350 OKT  Yoakum, TX - new catch
                            09 29 0700 350 RG  Oklahoma City, OK
                            09 27 0400 350 SWU  Idaho Falls, ID
                            09 29 0900 350 VTR  McGrath, AK
                            09 29 0800 351 YKQ Wasaganish, QC
                            09 27 1330 353 AL  Walla Walla, WA
                            09 29 0800 353 CY  Cheyenne, WY
                            09 29 0800 353 DI  Dickinson, ND
                            09 29 0800 353 IN  International Falls, MN
                            09 27 1330 353 LLD Lanai, HI
                            09 29 0800 353 PG  Portage, MB
                            09 27 0400 353 RNT  Renton, WA
                            09 27 1330 353 ZXY  Whitehorse, YT
                            09 29 1100 355 AUB  King Salmon, AK
                            09 29 0800 355 YWP  Webequie, ON
                            09 27 0700 356 MEF  Medford, OR
                            09 29 0700 356 ODX  Ord, NE
                            09 27 0700 356 ON  Penticton, BC
                            09 27 1330 356 PND  Portland, OR
                            09 27 0700 356 ZF  Yellowknife, NT
                            09 29 0800 356 ZXE  Saskatoon, SK
                            09 27 0400 358 SIT  Sitka, AK
                            09 27 1300 359 BO  Boise, ID
                            09 27 0500 359 SDY  Sidney, MT
                            09 27 1300 359 YAZ  Tofino, BC
                            09 29 0800 359 YQZ  Quesnel, BC
                            09 29 0800 360 SW  Warroad, MN
                            09 29 0900 361 E3  Wabasca, AB
                            09 29 0800 361 HI  Holman, NT
                            09 29 1000 362 6T  Foremost, AB
                            09 27 1300 362 BF  Seattle, WA
                            09 29 0800 362 CD  Chadron, NE
                            09 29 0600 362 RPX  Roundup, MT
                            09 29 0800 362 YZS  Coral Harbour, NU
                            09 29 0800 364 4D  Helmet, BC
                            09 27 1100 365 AA  Fargo, MN
                            09 29 0800 365 DPY  Deer Park, WA
                            09 29 0800 365 HQG  Hugoton, KS
                            09 29 0800 365 MA  Mayo, YT
                            09 29 0800 366 YMW  Maniwaki, QC
                            09 29 0800 368 ZP  Sandspit, BC
                            09 27 1330 368 ZVR  Vancouver, BC

I have, over the years, logged all of these beacons before, except for one..."OKT" in Yoakum, Texas...new catches are always nice and are harder to find  it seems. The Google Map's 'street view' shows what appears to be a nice top-loaded "T" antenna at OKT:

Courtesy: https://www.google.ca/maps/


My CLE186 beacons - Courtesy: https://www.google.ca/maps/

It was nice to salvage Sunday night but I'm still a little bummed about missing the best night of the weekend...at least I had a good night's sleep.







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