Pat Dyer
327 Solar Drive
San Antonio, Texas
78227
Deadline: 15th of month
MAY 1970
Sometime ago I was contacted about taking over the editor spot for
this column. Due to several pressing factors, I have not been able to
be sure that I could do it until just recently.
I know that this column has never had a large number of regular
contributors. A few years ago this might have been ascribed to the lack
of equipment for the 30-50 MHz range. Such is not the case now. There
are literally scores of receivers being made by the manufacturers for
this low VHF band. They range from under $20 to as high as you wish.
The inexpensive models do have their drawbacks, but with one such model
in less than a year I logged some 40 different paging stations on Es & F2
The lure of the band varies with the person. Mine was to keep tabs
on the F2 MUF from South America so I would have a better chance to get
in on any 6-meter openings down there. It wasn't until after I had got-
ten a unit that I found out about the paging stations. WWA 335 was my
first, followed soon by Es with KIY 508 and KIF 651. I later found the
group at 43 MHz.
Because of their nearly continuous transmissions, the pagers are
the easiest to log. Luckily, my local area doesn't have any on in the
30-50 band, so all the channels are clear for DX. MUF can be estimated
by noting how short the skip gets on them. From this location 43 MHz
is via Es only while 35 has both Es and F2 skip.
If you get tired of listening to the taped paging messages, you
can find plenty else to monitor. For the lucky ones there's the
chance of getting European TV audio. If you like police calls, you can
find many around 37 MHz and between 42 and 46. The huge number of fire
departments around 33 MHz provide very interesting listening with their
automatic fire alarm tones, etc. Several times I have heard mobile units
enroute to calls, complete with their sirens.
If you don't lean toward public safety, there are numerous mobile-
phone links near 35 MHz. However, if you listen to these be sure you
don't divulge the contents as they're covered by the Secrecy of Commun-
ications Act. The same Act covers all the business radio operations.
Above 40-MHz you will find numerous state and federal stations.
For me the 44-MHz region is full of South American telephone links.
Many of these are repeater stations, and I've had the weird experience
of hearing stateside stations skip down there and key thru them (the
Texas Department of Public Safety and a Buffalo pager, for example).
I've tried to give a very sketchy outline of the low-VHF band.
Space in the VUD does not permit a complete listing of all the stations
in that range. There are several popular magazines that list these, with
a certain geographical region in each issue. White's Radio Log has been
doing this for sometime.
I hope to try to have this column limited to F2 and Es reports for
the 30-50 range, concentrating on 35-MHz and above.
Previous issues of the VUD have had lengthy lists of pagers. I am
sure that most of them are not even active. I'm therefore requesting
those interested to let me know what pagers they've heard on lately.
The following short list of pagers is based on what I have heard
active in the last 18 months or so. Last summer I was without a 30-50
receiver, so some may no longer be on either. Many stations when IDing
give some sort of little slogan like ''air phone'' etc. Those listed
without calls are those that don't give them. Most give their locations.
With high F2 or Es, the 35-MHz channels become a mass of heterodynes
with screeching traffic light and other control signals.
VHF Page 2 May 1970
KIY 757 35.22 Montgomery, Ala. KQD 303 35.22 Detroit, Mich.
KOF 328 35.58 Tucson, Arizona KQC 884 43.58 Detroit, Mich.
KMD 342 35.22 Fresno, Calif. KAD 931 35.58 Kansas City, Mo.
- 35.58 Long Beach, Cal. KAF 245 43.58 Kansas City, Mo.
KME 437 35.58 Santa Cruz, Cal. KAA 893 43.58 St. Louis, Mo.
KMD 347 35.58 Stockton, Cal. KCC 482 35.22 Concord, N.H.
KIF 651 35.58 Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. KIM 905 35.22 Charlotte, N.C.
KIQ 510 35.58 Jacksonville, Fla. KQC 877 43.58 Cincinnati, Ohio
KIN 645 35.22 Miami, Florida * KQC 881 43.58 Cleveland, Ohio
KIE 367 43.58 Miami, Florida - 35.58 Oklahoma City, OK
KIY 508 35.22 Orlando, Florida KGC 223 35.22 Philadelphia, Pa.
KIE 953 35.58 Atlanta, Georgia - 35.58 Scranton, Pa.
KIG 300 43.58 Atlanta, Georgia - 35.22 Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
KUA 217 35.58 Honolulu, Hawaii KIF 653 43.58 Memphis, Tenn.
KSC 645 35.58 Chicago, Illinois KIG 837 35.58 Nashville. Tenn.
KSC 644 43.58 Chicago, Illinois KKI 445 35.58 Houston, Texas
KCC 266 35.58 Springfield, Mass. WWA 335 35.22 San Juan, P. R.
* I've only heard this with a tone (A2) ID, never with paging traffic.
So again, if any members know of other pagers on the air, or know
that any of the above have quit, please send the information in.
To give an indication how DX has been lately in the 30-50 range,
I'll present some excerpts from my log (including 50-MHz notes). All
times are CST. WWA 335 is a daily event so it will be omitted.
Mar 1: 1130, KGC 223 Apr 9: 1355, 50-MHz Cook Island
1145, Scranton Apr 11: 1345, 50-MHz Argentina
1150, Wilkes-Barre Uruguay
1245, KCC 482 Apr 14: 1400, 50-MHz Cook Island
2020, 50-MHz Arg.,Peru (TE)
Mar 8: 1620, 50-MHz F2 backscatter Apr 15: 1600, 50-MHz Argentina
to into 16 different Apr 16: 1245, 50-MHz Argentina
1810 states 1300, 50-MHz Cook Island
1740, 50-MHz F2 Puerto Rico
The purpose of all this was to
Mar 9:50-MHz Cook Island, 2050 show that conditions lately have
been very good for the 30-50 band.
Mar 12: 1000, KCC 266, KCC 482 Most of the days in March and April
1625, KIY 508, Es the MUF peak was not below 40 MHz.
Mar 18: 1900, KUA 217
Apr 4: 1530, 50-MHz Argentina (F2) In the future I will not report
(TE) 1935, 50-MHz Argentina,Peru Es mode for 50-MHz, only F2 and TE
Apr 5: 1405, 50-MHz Cook Island which will be unlikely in the next
1520, 50-MHz Argentina few months.
Apr 6: 2020, KIE 953 All 50-MHz above F2 unless noted
2115, KIY 508 differently.
Depending on the response to this column, I will take it on a
monthly or bi-monthly basis. I hope by the logging of pagers by Es
this summer by members some new light might be shed on Es, particularly
very late at night Es events.
Well, I've managed to make it thru this first column. I'll be
looking for your DX loggings and other information and comments.
73, Pat WA5IYX/5
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