December 2013 Verifications

KPTO Pocatello ID 1440 (thanks OJS)
KQJZ Evergreen MT 1340
KKTS Evansville WY 1580 (thanks OJS)
WXCO Wausau WI 1230 (thanks ABU)
WXNT Indianapolis IN 1430 QSL in pdf format here
WINC Winchester VA 1400
WMAC Macon GA 940
KATE Albert Lea MN 1450
KTJS Hobart OK 1420 "I will mention your DX report on our local news"
WGCL Bloomington IN 1370
KJJQ Volga SD 910
WKAL Rome NY 1450 (DX- test)

WKAL Rome NY 1450 DX Test - Third Time's A Charm

I didn't bother to post "Day Two" because increased proton levels wiped out everything DX-worthy on Sunday morning. However, Bob at Mid-Atlantic Engineering decided to do a third night of testing, and this morning I noted morse code IDs from WKAL! Conditions weren't in any way exceptional (in passing I noted IDs from common stations as CJOY-ON 1460 and WMBD-IL 1470), but as any CW operator knows, tones will beat voice in 10 out of 10 instances.

Thanks to Bob Carter for staying up late and do the work. I know that the test (first night?) was heard in Scotland. I hope other European DX-ers have noted the dit-dit-dahs as well.

Regular service from WKAL will commence in early January.

WKAL Rome NY 1450 DX Test - Day One

WKAL is doing a DX test over two nights, Saturday the 14th and Sunday the 15th from 03:00 to 07:00, with morse code segments of 5 minutes every TOH and BOH. The first day in Kongsfjord was disappointing, due to effects from a coronal hole, so conditions were poor as the MW spectrum below shows. I did hear Bermuda tentatively just after 05:00, and probably Colombia at 07:02, but nothing more. Not even a hint of morse.

Incidentally, WWXL Manchester KY was also testing on 1450 at 05:00 and 30 minutes onwards.

Nothing audible prior to 05:00, and not a lot of juice afterwards either

I'm hoping for better results on Sunday!

November 2013 Verifications

KRRZ Minot ND 1390
WROX Clarksdale MS 1450
KWYN Wynne AR 1400
WFAS White Plains NY 1230, fastest response to date, less than 1 minute
WPLA Dry Branch GA 1670
KLWN Lawrence KS 1320
KXGN Glendive MT 1400 (thanks OF)
WOR New York City NY 710 (thanks TJB)

Several: Thanks OJS

October 2013 Verifications (Oct 31 Update)

WTDR Gadsden AL 1350
KRDZ Gray CO 1440
KFIV Modesto CA 1360
CBKD High Level AB 1560
KVKK Verndale MN 1070
CKDY Digby NS 1420
KROS Clinton IA 1340
KREL Colorado Springs CO 1580
WZNG Shelbyville TN 1400
KWHN Fort Smith AR 1320
WKWY Frankfort KY 1490
WMNY McKeesport PA 1360
KKTL Casper WY 1400
KWBE Beatrice NE 1450
KHTK Sacramento CA 1140
KQAM Wichita KS 1480
KJYE Delta CO 1400
WFBL Syracuse NY 1390
WEEX Easton PA 1230
WAOC St. Augustine FL 1420
WHKT Portsmouth VA 1650
KWAD Wadena MN 920
WWNA Aguada PR 1340
WCSL Cherryville NC 1590
KEZJ Twin Falls ID 1450
KCJB Minot ND 910

Kongsfjord Revisited - One Week Later

If anyone was waiting for a final KONG23 post, I apologise. A severe weather forecast was in effect for departure day (Saturday Oct 19), but luckily the storm held its breath until I had sent TJ, OJ and Arnstein to the airport. The mountain crossing on my return to Vadsø was a little challenging, but I was safe at home when the storm hit. It lasted until Sunday evening. Since then weather's been nice, and my trip to Kongsfjord on Friday afternoon was uneventful, save a few snow drifts.

Conditions have been under the influence of an active sun, but reasonably good most of the time. Friday saw two X-level flares, and I expected a dead band on the night. Not so. Contrary to the common mid-west and western stations usually dominating here, I had a rush of east coast, Caribbean and Colombian stations, many not heard here before. Some of the more interesting ones were WAOC St. Augustine FL 1420, WCSL Cherryville NC 1590, WQSC Charleston SC 1340 and WGHB Farmville NC 1250, the first three new for me. WMDD Fajardo PR was booming in on 1480, and WMKI Boston MA, WSKO Syracuse NY and CKHJ Frederickton NB were fighting for dominance on 1260 in the absence of usual dominant CFRN Edmonton AB.

310 beverage overnight Jaguar waterfall, October 26

Contrary to previous days when conditions lated until 13:00 UTC or longer, signal levels were rather weak at 07:00 and more or less completely gone by 08:00. I had hoped for an east coast sunrise opening, but it was not to come.

Saturday afternoon brought nothing of interest from Asia and the Pacific, and Sunday was uneventful. Heavy interference from Europe, and only the usual La Plata stations audible. Conditions turned a bit north later in the morning with a few eastern NA stations at very low signal levels, and also HJJW Bogotá 1460. However, we DX by the slogan "Expect the Unexpected", and  WWNA Radio Una 1340 in Aguada PR fits perfectly into that category. Thanks Arnstein for checking my recording.

310 beverage overnight Jaguar waterfall, October 27

In contrast to Saturday, when the 340 beverage heard almost the same as the 310 beverage, today was totally different and the 340 was basically empty.

Weather has been quite ok for October, from +1 to -2 Celsius, mostly cloudy and occasional flurries, mostly calm. Quite a contrast to the previous weekend.

KONG23 - Day Nine (Morning)

Today is the last full day of KONG23, and improvement is coming! We have seen great improvement in solar weather, and from just before 03:00 signals improved considerably, as we can see on the Yaslog waterfall below.

We'll see what happens as we have a lot of catching up to do. Departure for Berlevag airport at 05:00 tomorrow...

Weather is pretty much like yesterday but a little windier.

KONG23 - Day Seven (Evening)

Not much to report DX-wise, however we've been having fun checking recordings from the last week of September, and we've found lots of new and interesting stations.

As is the procedure every year, the chefs take a day off and we eat at Kongsfjord Guest House. This year, we opted for cod loins with custard and garlic, carrot paste and potatoes. A delicious Chianti was served with the fish. For dessert we had pannacotta with fresh cloudberries. Of course we didn't know quite when to stop, so we couldn't resist  a couple of Gammel Opland aquavit.

Solar activity is still on the active side, but we hope that tonight will be a bit better than last night. In fact, any night will be better than last night...

Since I don't have any photos to accompany this post, why don't you check the link to one of the stations we heard in September, and QSL-ed this evening.

KONG23 - Day Seven (Morning)

What have we done to deserve this... basically nothing at all during the night:

Luckily we still have lots of recordings from the good September openings to check, and find new stations.

Yesterday it was time for another KONG signature meal, the reindeer tenderloin, together with mashed potatoes & carrots and a veg wok. We started off with fresh dates wrapped in bacon or parma ham, fried on the pan. We finished with what gradually became a four-dish dessert; baked pineapples followed by cloudberries in whipped cream. As if that wasn't enough the rest of the cheese were downed with port wine before finishing it all with chocolate pudding leftovers and Amaretto. And the absolutely totally awesome Felton Road Pinot Noir.

Weather cooled off overnight, -4 Celsius but sunny and moderate breeze. One or more foxes visited the premises during darkness, and was not disappointed to find a nice selection of leftovers from past dinners.

View to the southwest

What Did The Fox Say? "Thanks guys!"

KONG23 - Day Six (Morning)

We hope it doesn't get any worse than this. The night and morning was totally uneventful, a small peak at 04:00 but nothing exciting. We can only hope for improvement. Yesterday evening brought a nice opening towards Japan and the Philippines. Recordings from previous days and weeks keep us busy.

Our activities rarely create headlines with the stations we hear. KROS Clinton IA 1340 however decided to share this with their internet readers, and made this page where reports from me and Ole Forr are cited. I received my KROS verie yesterday.

The weather has turned colder with moderate breeze, light snow and hail showers and around 0 Celsius.

Today's photo is from October 13 after the storm.