Rockport, MA DXpedition ("DX Clams 2002") comments Even though the 2002 version of the annual "DX Clams" gathering was held on one of the two or three rainy nights of the entire summer and, to boot, the DX was sub-par, I still enjoyed the outing in the company of Boston Area DXers including Tom Walsh, Bruce Conti, Paul McDonough, Gary Thorburn, Andy Wallace, and Paul Graveline. I didn't get out of work early enough for the seafood dinner part of the activity, but went straight over to the DXing site at Granite Pier in Rockport, MA instead, arriving there just before 7 p.m. EDT / 2300 UTC (22 AUG). Transatlantics were very limited, mostly those from the Canary Islands and northwestern mainland Africa: among the better ones were Mauritania-783 (the first one to fade in around 2300 UTC), and Canaries stations on 621, 747, 837, and 882. High band TA's didn't perk up until well after sunset when France-1206, Spain- 1521, and a few others made a showing. Bruce said that the A- index had been around 30, so the lack of more northerly Europeans was not a total surprise. Only a weak signal from Holland-675 represented Europe north of France. With somewhat auroral conditions, in theory, one could turn the sights to Latin America and the Caribbean. Well before sunset, the eastern Venezuelan on 1140 was putting in a good signal, way over CBI/WRVA. Numerous other LA's did show, though the opening was slow to start and the aurora was not deep enough to suppress domestic short-skip QRM. One of my better catches was the Brazilian on 1100, decisively atop Antigua and a couple of Spanish-language stations with WTAM Cleveland in a 100% null off the back of the phased loop/whip cardioid array on the roof of the car. Some of the fun (though, at times, frustrating) channels were 640, 840, and 860 where numerous Caribbean and South American stations were duking it out. The three common Caribbean splits (535, 555, and 895) were all easily heard. Many of the islands were well represented and Venezuelans were good, too. Still, I would have gone for a more butt-kickin' aurora to sweep away the skip domestics. An aurora that still allows the Montreal stations on 690 and 940 to be pests isn't a very impressive one. Some of the guys at the outing were doing shortwave broadcast and ham activities; I'm not sure how many others were into serious medium wave DXing. I do know that Bruce Conti got some good "unidentifieds" on tape for later analysis. Even though this year's outing was somewhat of a "bust" compared to last summer's hugely-successful Rockport DXpedition, it was still a good get-together. I was interested in looking at the Elecraft K1 transceiver that Andy Wallace had assembled from a kit. Elecraft are to be commended for picking up where Heathkit left off. My loggings will be sent out soon in a separate e-mail. 73 / good DX ... Mark Mark Connelly, WA1ION - Billerica, MA, USA Report from Mark Connelly - Times / dates = UTC / 2002 2002 "DX Clams" DXpedition Report (logs 22 - 23 AUG 2002) [Connelly*R-MA] = Rockport, MA (GC= 70.622 W / 42.667 N) (Granite Pier) Receiver: Drake R8A Antenna system: broadband loop phased against active whip; Superphaser-2 phasing unit ====================================================== *** TRANSATLANTIC DX *** 621 | CANARY ISLANDS // SPAIN | RNE R.1 synchros, Santa Cruz de Tenerife et al., AUG 22 2339 – fast Spanish talk by man; getting by WZON pest. [Connelly*R-MA] 711.05 | WESTERN SAHARA | RTM, Laayoune, AUG 22 2338 – bits of flute music through residual slop from phase-nulled WOR. [Connelly*R-MA] 783 | MAURITANIA | R. Mauritanie, Nouakchott, AUG 22 2317 - // 4845 with news in Arabic; good. Carrier noted as early as 2245 UTC. [Connelly*R-MA] 837 | CANARY ISLANDS // SPAIN | COPE synchros, AUG 22 2336 – festive music // to (loud) 882. [Connelly*R-MA] 882 | CANARY ISLANDS // SPAIN | COPE synchros, AUG 22 2319 - Spanish talk; coming up in strength over WCBS slop. [Connelly*R-MA] 891 | ALGERIA | Chaine 1, Algiers, AUG 23 0209 - Arabic music; through combined Cuba/WBPS/WLS-890 slop. [Connelly*R-MA] 1107 | SPAIN | RNE R.5 synchros, AUG 23 0252 - Spanish talk; poor to fair. [Connelly*R-MA] 1152 | SPAIN | RNE R.5 synchros, AUG 23 0034 – telephone quality audio Spanish talk; poor. [Connelly*R-MA] 1179 | CANARY ISLANDS // SPAIN | SER synchros, AUG 22 2324 – woman with Spanish teletalk; fair with WHAM phased. [Connelly*R-MA] 1206 | FRANCE | France Bleu, Bordeaux, AUG 23 0033 – French male folk style vocal; fair signal (but considerably weaker than when heard at Rowley, MA in July). [Connelly*R-MA] 1521 | SPAIN | SER, Castellon, AUG 23 0155 – Spanish talk; fair. [Connelly*R-MA] *** PAN-AMERICAN DX *** 530 | TURKS & CAICOS | R. Vision Cristiana Internacional, South Caicos, AUG 23 0001 – female Spanish religious vocal; loud. [Connelly*R-MA] 535 | GRENADA | GBC, St. George's, AUG 23 0223 – soul music; poor to fair in heavy R.V.C.-530 slop. [Connelly*R-MA] 555 | ST. KITTS & NEVIS | R. ZIZ, Basseterre, AUG 23 0221 – excited Caribbean male announcer; fair with WGAN-560 phased. [Connelly*R-MA] 580 | PUERTO RICO | R. Reloj, WKAQ, San Juan, AUG 23 0226 – Puerto Rico mentions in Spanish talk by man & woman; over WTAG. [Connelly*R-MA] 640 | GUADELOUPE | Pointe-a-Pitre, AUG 23 0219 – French talk by several people in the studio; strong and generally dominant. [Connelly*R-MA] 640 | VENEZUELA | Union R., YVQO, Puerto La Cruz, AUG 23 0230 – several "Union Radio Noticias" slogans; good, over Guadeloupe. [Connelly*R-MA] 670 | VENEZUELA | R. Rumbos, YVLL, Caracas, AUG 23 0218 - Venezuela news items; over second Spanish talker that was probably the Cuban. [Connelly*R-MA] 690 | ANGUILLA | Caribbean Beacon, The Valley, AUG 22 2359 - // 6090 with preaching in both English and Spanish; mixing with Montreal station. [Connelly*R-MA] 750 | VENEZUELA | RCR, YVKS, Caracas, AUG 22 2357 – Spanish talk about Venezuelan politics, relations with Colombia; loud. Echoey-audio station, probably a Brazilian, under. [Connelly*R-MA] 760 | COLOMBIA | RCN, HJAJ, Barranquilla, AUG 23 0207 - // 1000 with Colombia-related newstalk, RCN and "la primera cadena radial de Colombia" slogans; mixed with several others and a low growl. [Connelly*R-MA] 770 | COLOMBIA | RCN, HJJX, Bogota, AUG 23 0238 - // 760 with RCN ID, Spanish talk; mixed with WABC. [Connelly*R-MA] 780 | VENEZUELA | R. Coro, YVMN, Coro, AUG 23 0243 – Spanish dedications to someone in Coro celebrating fourth birthday; mixed with CFDR. [Connelly*R-MA] 800 | NETHERLANDS ANTILLES | Trans-World Radio, PJB, Bonaire, AUG 23 0242 – slow religious Spanish vocal by man; over WCCM and Canadians. [Connelly*R-MA] 820 | ST. KITTS & NEVIS | Trinity Broadcast Network, Charlestown, AUG 22 2353 – Caribbean English inspirational talk, then piano music; good with WNYC phased. [Connelly*R-MA] 860 | CUBA, CMBL, Arroyo Arenas, AUG 23 0245 – Reloj program; mixing with one of the Venezuelans; CJBC phased. [Connelly*R-MA] 895 | ST. KITTS & NEVIS | VON, Bath Village, AUG 23 0247 – talk about a local band; fair. [Connelly*R-MA] 1000 | COLOMBIA | RCN, HJAQ, Cartagena, AUG 23 0207 - // 760 with newstalk and RCN network ID; over/under other Spanish speaker. [Connelly*R-MA} 1039.6 | VENEZUELA | La Voz de Carabobo, YVLB, Valencia, AUG 23 0250 – most likely this with Spanish vocal: this has been 400 Hz low of nominal 1040 for at least 2 years. [Connelly*R-MA] 1090 | VENEZUELA | Union R., YVSZ, Caracas, AUG 23 0251 - // 640 with Spanish newstalk; fair over others with WBAL phased. [Connelly*R-MA] 1100 | BRAZIL | R. Globo, ZYK694, Sao Paulo, AUG 23 0142 – fast Portuguese sports-related talk, Sao Paulo and Globo mentions, slight reverb on audio. Very good: way over ZDK and others with WTAM completely phase-nulled. [Connelly*R-MA] 1110 | VENEZUELA | R. Carupano, YVQT, Carupano, AUG 23 0037 – salsa music, R. Carupano ID and timecheck, then into ballad. Huge signal, way over WBT. [Connelly*R-MA] 1140 | VENEZUELA | La Voz del Caribe, Porlamar, AUG 22 2322 – Porlamar mentions; good / dominant. [Connelly*R-MA] 1375.02 | ST. PIERRE ET MIQUELON | RFO, St. Pierre, AUG 23 0030 – jazz-rock; loud. [Connelly*R-MA] 1500 | unID | AUG 23 0200 – Probably just the Venezuelan here, but ID / slogan sounded more like Radio Luz, rather than Radio Dos Mil. [Connelly*R-MA] 1620 | US VIRGIN ISLANDS | WDHP, Fredriksted, St. Croix, AUG 23 0022 – old time country-western show with songs by Freddy Fender, Buck Owens, and others. Strong signal, completely dominant. [Connelly*R-MA] 1660 | PUERTO RICO | WGIT, Canovanas-Moca, AUG 23 0024 – Spanish talk mixed with the second Spanish audio from nulled NJ station. Low growl of about 10 Hz noted. [Connelly*R-MA]