KONG-HQ March Logs, Network Changes, And a Theft...

March turned out to be quite an interesting month, with eight personal first logs on my part. March also marked the most significant change for Japan's NHK network for many decades, as two MW networks merged into one. And I fell victim to a theft - a truly absurd one.

This month's log is here.

March 3rd was a very good day, with interesting DX from North America (like KTTR-MO and KDRO-MO both on 1490  within 30 minutes), New Zealand, Philippines, and a new log from Japan! The 1-kW Tsuruoka relay of NHK-2 Yamagata was heard on 1035 kHz with sign-off on this very noisy channel. Happy with that one!

Nothing new from New Zealand, but in terms of stations logged, maybe the best NZL opening this season.

On March 5th I monitored the last minutes of CJVB Vancouver BC 1470. They turned their transmitter off  at 07:45. It remains to be seen if someone else will take their place, like what happened in Winnipeg on 1290. CJVB will continue on FM.

March 12th and 13th also provided good reception, especially from North America. 1060 brought me KNLV-NE and XERDO-TAM as new logs within four minutes! Other stations worth mentioning were KRPU-CA 1210, KGLB-MN 1310 and another exceptional log of WZBU-1520, drowning the 50-kW giants with their mere 550 watts (assuming daytime power)!

A few days later, WEUR-IL surfaced briefly on 1490 (thanks OF!) and I got my second personal first from Japan this month with 5-kW NHK-1 Toyama on 648. Two days after that, KRDU-CA was noted briefly on 1130, and I noted a new Aussie for me with ABC New England NW-NSW on 648, together with several other stations from Australia.

On March 22, KPUR-TX 1440 was noted on the air again with assumed day power - it's been silent for a while. Likely on air to maintain their license.

Nothing much happened until the two last days of March, when I noted unusual stations like KLWN-KS 1320, KENN-NM 1390 and KQAM-KS 1480.

Station of the month: CJVB's final English-language goodbye-announcement, before leaving dead air followed by transmitter close-down.

Another major change I followed was the merger of Japan's NHK-1 and NHK-2 networks into the new NHK AM network. From 15:00 to 15:05 on Sunday March 29th there was a lengthy announcement with information about the merger, and how to access the NHK on MW and other platforms. Then, just before 15:05 came the last ever local ID from the NHK-2 network, as recorded here from 1-kW JOJC Yamagata, 1521 kHz.

Later that day (actually in the morning the day after in Japan), I noted the new network's name when I monitored the local ID from JOJK Kanazawa on 1224. No longer was it "dai-ichi hoso", but "AM hoso"! Here is the first ever local ID on the NHK AM network.

So, who wants to steal a beverage transformer?

A couple of weeks ago I noticed that the signal level from the 50-degrees beverage had dropped significantly. Usually when that happens, there is a reindeer involved. And since this is reindeer migration season, I suspected it was.

Last weekend I drove to the KONG-HQ for some tests. While there, I inspected the beverage. It looked nice and sharp! So, why the signal loss? I walked to the starting point, where the coax feedline, antenna wire and ground meet in a DX-Engineering transfomer, inside a battery box. So I opened the battery box, and.... no transformer! Now, this was obviously man-made since no reindeer I know is capable of opening a belted batteri box, unscrew the antenna and ground leads, unscrew the F plug from the transformer, remove it, and replace the lid and belt on the box! By all means, it's not a major issue in any sense compared to what's going on around us these days. It just felt so.... absurd. Like...why? What was going on in that person's mind? Did he feel any personal achievement? Did he have a beverage antenna waiting for a transformer?

We will likely never know. Anyway, I had a spare transformer at hand, so the beverage is up and running again.

Below are some photos from the area (including the empty battery box) from last weekend. Very little snow left after a very mild March. But April could be totally different.

Transformer gone missing

On the path to the 340 beverage (facing south). Crusty and battered snow from recent thaws and wind storms.

Snow drift - hard as concrete

In a few days near the end of Easter I will probably go back and lower the beverages to the ground, or reel them in, as this season is about to end. And the reindeer will mess around with our wires anyway. The dark nights will eventually give way to the Midnight Sun six weeks from now.

And then we will prepare for the FM season!