WNAM Neenah-Menasha WI 1280 Leaves the MW Band - With a DX-Test

 WNAM signed on 1280 kHz in May 1947. After keeping their frequency and call letters for more than 78 years, they will sign off at local midnight on December 31st. And they finish their job with a proper DX Test, in cooperation with the Courtesy Program Committee (CPC) of the NRC and IRCA. The DX test ran on the nights to December 30th and 31st, CST.

The first Norwegian to hear WNAM was Geir Stokkeland, in November 1985. At the time Geir was at work on Bjørnøya (Bear Island), one of Norway's Arctic islands. I believe he had a Yaesu FRG-8800 at the time. Below is the friendly response from the station's Chief Engineer (published with permission):

I don't remember when I heard WNAM for the first time, nor when I received their QSL. Probably after June 1992 when they were allowed 5 kW nights.  During the late 1990s and onwards we had put some serious DX equipment at the KONG-HQ, and WNAM turned out to become a very frequent guest on 1280, together with Denver and Hamilton (CHAM). Many other stations were also heard. In later years, WWTC Minneapolis became the most dominant station due to transmitter and antenna upgrades. However, WNAM have been heard regularly up here for decades, including many times this season. Their 5-kW transmitter  antenna array points to the northeast, so most of their power come "our way" - because their main market is located in that direction.

DX tests are set up in a variety of ways, depending of course on station management's preferences. The WNAM test was a novelty for me, as it actually intercepted regular programming. It was set up to run from minute 3 to  minute 5 after the top of the hour, from local midnight until 5.05 am - corresponding to 06:03 to 11:05 UTC. For two nights!

Neenah-Menasha to Kongsfjord, 6300 km.

My beverage antennas and Perseus+Jaguar combo are doing continuous IQ recordings, so I didn't have to do much more than pay attention, and check back recordings if necessary. Propagation is always a factor here - the band could be dead, especially in periods with high solar activity like now. It's always nice to take part in the few DX tests we have, and I have in fact logged a few stations I would never have heard if it wasn't for the sweep tones and morse code IDs that penetrated the noise.

So, what did I get out of the DX test? I had positive IDs from WNAM both on the 28th and 29th, and with ionospheric conditions not too bad, I was hoping for the best.

December 30th was dismal. Lots of weather induced noise due to heavy snow showers coming in from the Arctic Ocean - at speed! And a very dominant WWTC. I did hear snippets of sweeps and morse for a few seconds on the 06 and 07 UTC slots. But really not conclusive.

However on December 31st, WWTC was much weaker, and the noise-free periods between showers were longer. So, on the 06 slot I got very good reception with voice-ID, sweeps, morse IDs, more sweeps, an announcement and finally a WNAM jingle. Reception on the following four hours didn't match the quality of the first one, but were still conclusive. The test at 11 UTC was unproductive.

Thanks very much to the CPC for arranging this DX test. Everything seemed to go according to plan. Job well done!

WNAM will air a special 3-hour broadcast on December 31st from 9:00 pm to midnight CST, corresponding to 03:00 to 06:00 UTC on January 1st. I will keep an eye (or an ear) on that one as well.

Pre-Christmas Check At The KONG-HQ

 A quick detour to the KONG-HQ today, on the way to Berlevåg where I will stay most of the xmas days. A failing Intel NUC PC necessitated the stop, but I also suspected something had happened to the dual, staggered 340 beverage since the signal levels seemed to be lower than anticipated, given the propagation levels.

I was right. One of the two wires was in a sorry state. A lone reindeer is the likely culprit, I saw its tracks all around my house and along the beverage antennas. These animals should have migrated inland a long time ago.

A sagging beverage

Luckily, the eastern wire of the 340 phased beverages was fine, so I removed the phasing unit and connected the good antenna to the feedline. Signal levels on the higher end of the MW band increased a few dB as a result.

The other antennas were (at least so far) not damaged by the forsaken reindeer who hadn't listened to his mom.

After finishing the feedline switch, I took this image facing southwest before moving inside to warm up cold fingers. A little under two hours after local noon.

Polar Night Light

It looks cold, but the forecast for the coming days 4-5 days is anything but. Gale force winds, lots of rain, 4-5 degrees Celsius. The roads will be a mess. My jogs will be a mess. But we will have company with awesome people and enjoy excellent meals, so why worry.

Merry Xmas, or Christmas, or Yuletide, or just another ordinary week, to all. Or as we say in Norway: 

ArcticDX Makeover (And Some Sunny Stuff)

I suddenly realised that I had kept the same layout (and background image) on my blog for the better part of 15 years. Time to change!

Apart from the photo which of course changes the colour scheme altogether, changes are subtle. A bit more transparency perhaps, hopefully without interfering too much with the blog text. 

The photo was taken eight days ago, and the road, named FV890, is a vital commercial route for fish export to the European markets. It connects two communities with the rest of Norway's road infrastructure. It is exposed to weather from all directions, from October through April. Road closures and convoy driving are regular occurences, and even when the road is open this 50-km mountain crossing may pose a challenge for those not accustomed to snow drifts, blowing snow, reduced or no visibility, icy surfaces and strong sidewind.

The photo was taken at 11:51 CET  on December 6, when the sun's elevation was -4.3 degrees (civil twilight). The maximum elevation of the sun on this spot on Winter Solstice will be -4.1 degrees. So, this is as light as it gets when the sky is clear nowadays.

Back to radio stuff! Polar signal paths are open, but only the usual dominants are heard with any signal strength from North America as you can see from the image below (collected data from the 340-degrees beverage).

You can check the Yaslogs links for yourself on the right-hand sidebar (KONG-80 and Smøla-315 are currently not in use).

Running SDRs on ARM-Powered Windows PCs: What to Expect

Updated 13-DEC 06:40Z

All of the six PCs I use for my SDRs are Intel-based. And they are all, for practical reasons, desktop PCs. The PC I use when relaxing in my recliner was a Dell Latitude laptop which was recently replaced with a Microsoft Surface Laptop. Instead of an Intel CPU, the processor is a Snapdragon. This new (for Windows) ARM64 architecture is said to have some compatibility issues with older software and hardware. It's my first Surface for around 10 years.

2 x USB-C, 1 USB-A, 13.8". And such a wow-feeling compared to my old Latitude.

So what about SDRs and SDR software? They obviously were developed long before Snapdragon became a PC thing. So, I decided to do a test. After all, "Test" is my middle name.

What we do know at this stage is this: As per its user manual, ARM is not supported by the Perseus22. We also know that the Winradio G31DDC does support ARM, by their latest software update late 2024.

For SDRPlay, we know that Linux ARM64 and macOS ARM64 are supported. No details on Windows but after the test I was informed that the SDRPlay SDRs work with SDRUno.

The laptop I bought runs on Windows 11-Pro, 64-bit. The SDRs I'm testing are the legacy Perseus, Perseus22, Winradio G31DDC and SDRPlay RSPdx.

So, first off: SDRPlay: I downloaded the install file for SDRconnect, and this was what met me when I tried to proceed:

Not a good start! However, after downloading the v3.15 API, I did get the RSPdx to run with SDR Console and HDSDR. Since they aim to replace SDRuno with SDRconnect I assume (or actually expect) that a future SDRconnect version will play on this platform.

Winradio G31DDC, v1.73 which is ARM64-prepared according to release notes. And....does it work? Yes, and I was able to record an IQ file, and play it back. I then opened Definitions in SDR Console, added the G31DDC and it played beautifully. I also checked release notes for the G33DDC but despite a very recent software update there was no mention of ARM64 support.

Perseus22 - stated in the manual as incompatible with ARM64. And yes - during installation I was notified that the WestBridge driver which should be installed (and later replaced), was unaccessible. Theoretically one can build one. I don't feel tempted.

Perseus - Will a 17 year old SDR play game? "Unknown unit" - "Remove this unit". Right....

So. Out of four SDRs tested, only one, the Winradio G31DDC installed and worked with its native software.

For playback of IQ files, SDR Console, Jaguar, HDSDR and WavViewDX are all good choices. So, they needed to be tested. After all, it's not likely that I will be using this laptop for live DX-ing.

SDR Console: I installed v3.4 (a beta), which went well, and opened a Jaguar file for playback. No problems, and with API 3.15 it also runs the RSPdx

HDSDR is by far the oldest software in this test, especially if we count the Winrad years. Installs fine, loads fine, plays back Jaguar files fine! And, with API 3.15, it runs the RSPdx.

Jaguar: Starts and works without any problems, and plays back IQ files. All that I could ask for. Of course since Perseus driver installation failed it can only be used for playback.

WavViewDX: Returned an error message from the installer. However a direct download bypassed the problem and WVDX works well on this platform. Hopefully the installer issue is temporary.

So then. Definitely mixed results. Out of four SDRs, Perseus, Perseus22, SDRPlay RSPdx (likely all of the SDRPlay range if you use SDRconnect), failed to install. Only the Winradio, with recent software update to comply with ARM64, worked. SDRPlay devices (at least the one I tested) do work with HDSDR and SDR Console with API v3.15.

Out of four "playback" softwares, all candidates seem to work well, although WavViewDX has a small issue with the installer.

What can we learn from this? Don't buy a Windows PC running on Snapdragon for use with SDRs unless you have checked hardware compatibility.

Brief Pre-Xmas Visit To The KONG-HQ

Driving in darkness with a full moon and clear skies during winter is a magic experience! But cold - down to -20C inland so I wasn't tempted to stop to take pictures until I arrived at the KONG-HQ. I'm amazed at how these 'night mode' settings on my mobile phone seem to magically transform a dark night, albeit moonlit, into almost broad daylight.

The aurora to my southwest is a sign of troubled RF conditions. Indeed, after a couple of useable days in the beginning of December, reception on polar paths is now very poor.

Anyway, part of the reason I went was to collect SDRs of different makes for a compatibility test at home. More as it happens.

KONG HQ November Logs

Yes. Not just one, but two! The thing is: The vast majority of stations we hear, we don't log. Why? Because we're lazy buggers! And we're always looking for the rare stations, and in particular those we haven't logged before. So, I thought this time I'd share a log of stations we don't log! Or at least some of them - November's been a bad month for MW DX-ing. The "Common" log is comprised of stations that we in the Arctic part of the Nordic countries hear more or less every time propagation opens up across the North Pole. Some of them are literally daily catches, like KBRW-AK 680, KJNP-AK 1170 and CFFB-NU 1230 - stations that would raise more than one eyebrow when logged in Central Europe.

So here it is: The "Common" Log!

I guess I could add a hundred more if conditions were better and I had been a bit more systematic when logging. Also, I could have added lots of stations from Asia, notably Japan which is the country I'm really interested in.

So, with "Common" out of the way, the "usual" log has been altered a bit.  The September and October logs have had new catches formatted in bold. Now the rest of the logs we may hear relatively often or very seldom. So, "rarely heard" stations are now formatted in italics. "Daytime log" under "Details" means the station has been heard prior to powering down by local sunset. A few October logs are included after checking more IQ files.

Far less stations logged in November than October. No surprise, considering the poor conditions we have had. The Preliminary November Log.

A brief weather update: On my previous post on November 1 I complained about the lack of winter. A few days later I didn't have to worry anymore. Lots of snow, and periods with quite cold weather, down to -12 Celsius. The past couple of days have been mild with rain and wind but we will see "blue" figures again on the thermometer on Monday. So maybe we can dream of a white christmas.

The image below is a week old, taken during a jog at home in Vadsø. At noon! We are now well into the Polar Night.

Vadsø, lonely bird looking across the Varanger Fjord at -8C.

KONG HQ Preparing For Winter

Winter? What winter? One could ask after experiencing an October with one - 1 - day with sub-zero temperatures. I could have driven here with summer tyres without problems had I wanted to. Unheard of at 71N. But winter cold will come, eventually. So, I have to cut the external water tubing, empty and remove the pressurized water tank in the basement (which will freeze), and move food and beverages that can freeze into the living room which should be above zero even during the coldest winter days. I have a few 25-litre water tanks to help me when I visit here during winter.

All of that will be done tomorrow Sunday though. Today I'm going through recordings from the past few days, which prove to be very interesting indeed with new stations logged! But with the clear weather outside I decided to take a quick photo session with my Pixel. Below are the best ones in my opinion (you won't see the other ones anyway...)

The waxing Moon is 14° above the southern horizon, 81% illuminated. Nice reflection off the beach. The Aurora is to the south of us, not a good sign.

Yes, this is the KONG-HQ, traces of Aurora.

Image to the right of the first image

Finally, a photo of my part of the radio equipment.

3 x PCs (one Dell MFF, two Intel NUC), 3 x Perseus (+ one in reserve), 5 external HDDs, power supplies, splitters, preamps. Ethernet for everything that needs to communicate. RSPdx/RSPdxR2, PC, HDDs not visible.

KONG HQ October Log

October was somewhat less productive than September, although the first few and the last few days were good. Unfortunately, the rather poor period coincided with the KONG51 DX-pedition, which had to suffer from a proton event. 

Quite a few new logs for me in October. My preliminary log can be viewed here. As usual, common stations are not listed (but maybe some of the listed stations here actually are quite common).

The weather is still strange. Calm, a little bit of rain now and then, and 3-5 Celsius. It will likely stay that way for the coming week as well. This should be snow storm season.

To end this post, here is an image taken from my car on the "cold" day during KONG51. The KONG HQ is actually to the extreme left on the other side of the fjord.

KONG51 Day Ten (Last Full Day And Last Dinner)

Finally some good trans-polar signals! Carriers were visible after 21:00 UTC yesterday and we noted stations like WLQV-MI 1500 80 minutes prior to their sunset and KXEL-IA 1540 70 minutes prior. It was difficult to find eastern daytimers or stations that powered down at sunset since westerly stations were already dominant.

No area in particular had enhanced signal levels, which usually means that the stations we hear have been heard before. Some were worth mentioning: KORT-ID 1230, KRYN-OR 1230, KIT-WA 1290, KRSC-WA 1400 all night and morning, KGRZ-MT 1450, KCLX-WA 1450,  KBKR-OR 1490

For non-Jaguar users, a bit of info about the software and the "what you see is what you hear" DX. The image below shows around 5 hours of carrier traces on 1450 kHz. The width of the window is 100 Hz, covering 1449.95 to 1450.05 kHz. Currently around 130 US stations and 4 Canadian stations use 1450 kHz. Quite a few of those stations are visible, but few are audible. Actually, the number of stations make GY channels difficult to DX since many signals are at the same level and you can't separate one from another. Last night, WPGG-NJ dominated in the early hours (up to midnight UTC). In the morning at 07:00 KONP-WA was the dominant station. 

But then suddenly, a rare or previously unheard station can pop up for a few seconds, and by luck send an ID.

Live frequency analysis is unique to Jaguar. Which means you also need a Perseus SDR. There are alternatives though, but you need to do the processing after the IQ recordings have been made. I made a blogpost about WavViewDX earlier this year, and below is a post-recording processing made today of 1450, from the same IQ recordings as Jaguar. As with Jaguar, you can move both in the time and frequency domain, and you can choose if you want to see stations on 9-kHz spacing or 10-kHz spacing. This is extremely useful if you are in North America hunting European or Asian stations, or if you are in Europe/Asia and hunting stations from the Americas.

Below is a detailed view of 1450 kHz in WavViewDX, covering part of the time span in the Jaguar image above:

So, how do they sound like? I recorded a TOH ID with both software from KONP Port Angeles WA with as equal parameters as possible. Hearing is a subjective matter, so this is not a "which audio is best" competition. I'm quite satisied with both, maybe one is better in my opinion. Clarity is king when it comes to identifying weak and distorted stations. KONP wasn't particularly weak at this time. Both files are 12-13 seconds long, around 100 kB, MP3 64-bit, 44.1 mono.

Audio 1 (Jaguar)

Audio 2 (WavViewDX)

DX towards Asia/Pacific started off promising, but the signal levels didn't rise fast enough for us to catch the local NHK-1 ID at 10:00 UTC. Tonga-1017 and Majuro-1098 carriers were visible around 06:30 and were audible around 09:00. We also noted some of the few remaining stations in Hawaii, KLHT Honolulu 1040, KAOI Kihei 1110, KWOE Kahului 1240 (well into late afternoon) and KNDI Honolulu 1270.

Japan's NHK-2 network signed off at 15:05 today. Very strong signals, but most were heard before, except JOVB Hakodate 1467, 1 kW.

Dinner—early! But only after we’d wrangled the alt-Loran gear, which was no joke in the wind and snow. With sunset at 14:20 local, we had to get moving early. By 14:50 we were done at alt-Loran, and at exactly 15:00 we rolled into the parking lot at Restaurant Oliver in Berlevåg.

Oliver is one of this region's superb restaurants, and Ole and I started with Scampi Taco and Chicken Taco. For the main course we both opted for reindeer burgers, served with mushroon stew, bacon, locally picked lingonberries and chips in butter and herbs. Wow. If you're ever in the northeastern part of Norway, you must visit Oliver! A few pictures to follow (most photos: Ole Forr).

This is the place!

Empty because it was 30 seconds after they opened

A hungry Ole

Proper burgers (and a hungry me)

So, tomorrow Monday morning at a little after 06 local we will drive off in the snow and wind. A great DX-pedition albeit with mixed results and one vital missing link - OJ - who will be back next year.

KONG51 Day Nine

There was a strong wind advisory for last night and early morning, and yes, it was windy first part of the night but nothing out of the ordinary for October - 15 m/s middle wind and gusting at 24 m/s. The temperature is quite stable at 3-4 Celsius, with occasional showers. So, this is as good as it gets this time of the year. And there's something soothing about falling asleep in a warm, cozy bed while the wind howls outside your bedroom window.

Blustery morning

Even more blustery morning

However, signal levels were low overnight, and the  weather-induced noise didn't make reception any better. Have a listen to this rain noise on 1450 (and all across the MW band) coming and going this morning. So, when the station of interest overnight is KGYM-IA 1600, there isn't much to brag about.

We went out early to alt-Loran to replace battery and SSD. It was dry when we were there, but huge ocean swells had developed during the night and I had a hard time keeping my eyes on the road instead of the nearby waves.

So, here's another photo from my living room window (same as the first one), with a low sun, taken at 13:30 local. Minutes later a hefty snow shower swept through the area.

Around that time another loaf of bread was done with satisfactory result.

Afternoon conditions towards Asia were poor as auroral conditions persist. The usual dominant on 1548, ABC Capricornia (AUS) has been demoted by a pirate unofficial station in Thessaloniki, Greece.

Nothing we can do, except make a good dinner! Today we chose a traditional Norwegian course from the Arctic coast, fried haddock loins with fried onions, potatoes, sour cream and shredded carrots, served with Kim Crawford white wine. For dessert: Chocolate pudding and custart. And.... Grappa.

Dinner!

This was in fact our last dinner at KONG51. Tomorrow Sunday we will drive into Berlevåg after collecting the alt-Loran beverage and treat ourselves in one of the best restaurants in this part of Norway.

We will definitely report back with pictures and a review. Having had serveral meals there before, I have no worries.

Final weather update today: Light winds, dry, 3 Celsius. Increasing wind and precipitation along with a bit cooler weather tomorrow afternoon.