SWLing in Alaska... CRI 7820

[KL7OF]

I am at my place in Naknek, Alaska for the summer...I just put up a 40 meter dipole with hopes of being able to contact the boyz in the Pacific NW.....I do hear a few SSB QSOs from Calif, OR, WA, AZ...as well as the midwest USA in the late afternoon...so that shouldn't be a problem..

   This morning 7:00 AM AST, I tuned in China Radio International on 7820.  A strong signal.  AM from Bejing in English...Very interesting programming..A short show that tried to analyze the lyrics from popular American songs..another program titled "Learn Chinese"... You can follow along online at CRIenglish.com 
I would be interested to hear from any of you around the country that can pick up CRI...
  I have an FT 101 and dipole on 40 and will be looking for contacts on AM and SSB mornings and evenings when I can...  Steve

[WU2D]

Steve,

One summer when I was about 16, my uncle grabbed my cousin and myself and we took off in a Winnebago and headed to Fairbanks for a 6 week Odyssey. Out starting point was Platsburg NY. Now that was a trip. I installed an old Tube CB and brought my brand new Realistic DX-150 receiver which would work on 12V. This was the height of the cold war in 1973 and the Alaska Highway was all dirt and semis running at full speed taking pipeline north for the big tube. Needless to say that was the trip of a lifetime. Caught everything from  Grayling and Dolly Varden to Silvers on simple Zebco reels and daredevils. Across the whole of Canada - to Calgary and Edmonton  up to Whitehorse Haines Fairbanks Anchorage Homer, the ferry to Prince Rupert through Juneau (35 bucks) Jasper Banff, Montana and back again. Heard some real crazy DX.

73' Mike

[KL7OF]

Steve,

One summer when I was about 16, my uncle grabbed my cousin and myself and we took off in a Winnebago and headed to Fairbanks for a 6 week Odyssey. Out starting point was Platsburg NY. Now that was a trip. I installed an old Tube CB and brought my brand new Realistic DX-150 receiver which would work on 12V. This was the height of the cold war in 1973 and the Alaska Highway was all dirt and semis running at full speed taking pipeline north for the big tube. Needless to say that was the trip of a lifetime. Caught everything from  Grayling and Dolly Varden to Silvers on simple Zebco reels and daredevils. Across the whole of Canada - to Calgary and Edmonton  up to Whitehorse Haines Fairbanks Anchorage Homer, the ferry to Prince Rupert through Juneau (35 bucks) Jasper Banff, Montana and back again. Heard some real crazy DX.

73' Mike

Great story Mike...I'm doing some trout fishing in Katmai Nat'lpark (Naknek Lake) and the Naknek river...It has been great with rainbows and some Grayling..The Chinook Salmon (Kings) are starting to come into the river now and I hope to start fishing them tomorrow.. 

   The radio seems pretty dead during the day now, but early mornings and early evenings show some propagation...I'll be looking for the Russian english service programming this evening...

[KA0HCP]

CRI booms into the mid-Atlantic coast in late afternoon and evening on 40m around 7295kc.

Last year I read several places that CRI was leasing a transmitter in Texas for their transmissions.  Viva capitalism!

[KL7OF]

CRI booms into the mid-Atlantic coast in late afternoon and evening on 40m around 7295kc.

Last year I read several places that CRI was leasing a transmitter in Texas for their transmissions.  Viva capitalism!

It looks like the Russians have stopped broadcasting from their mainland and have gone to internet radio and AM and FM programming on the broadcast bands from Washington DC...Capitalism is alive and well....

[KL7OF]

Japanese amateurs on 40 SSB this morning..I hear them S5 to S7 (there is low noise here) but they can't hear me with my PW FT101E and dipole....I heard a group on yesterday evening with stations all around the western states and I was able to break into the group but very few could hear me as they all had S5 or higher noise level ...

[KA7WOC]

Listening 7.285ish.  Set up a schedule with the other Steve's. 

[KL7OF]

Listening 7.285ish.  Set up a schedule with the other Steve's. 

Nice silvers Bob....around 8 or 9 pm yur time wud be OK..the foreign broadcast gets strong here after that.......might have to try below 7270...I need to listen some more...and see how propagation rolls hereon 40

[KL7OF]

This morning 40 meters is solid SW BC stations from 7200 to 7500..Mostly asian language speaking...Two stations (unidentified) seem to be broadcasting the same programming every 20 Kcs ..Very strong signals ..
  On a ham radio note, I was able to work KA7WOC and KF7EH in WA state on 7285 yesterday evening around 8:30 AST.
It is still full-on daylight here at that time of the evening and signals seemed to build as time went by but it doesn't reach full darkness here until well after midnight....I can't stay up late enuf to see what 40 meter propagation would be like after dark......
)

[KL7OF]

Yesterday evening I was able to work 3 stations in the Pacific NW...Still very low to no noise floor here...all stations received Q5..I was PW, but heard by 2 of the stations...Condx may be getting better with the recent solar activity...See you on 7285

[WD5JKO]

Condx may be getting better with the recent solar activity...See you on 7285

   Hi Steve, I been following this thread. I wonder if 15m might pop open? That 40m dipole should load up fine on 15m. If antenna work there, and if the propagation is there, 15m AM is a possibility.

73,
Jim
Wd5JKO

[KL7OF]

Jim...I will check out 15 Meters .....see if I can get some RF into the antenna.  I'll post here if I have any results...Steve

[Steve - K4HX]

I worked Brian, W1LYD in Alaska a few time this past spring on 15 meters AM. Give it a shot.

[KL7OF]

Condx may be getting better with the recent solar activity...See you on 7285

   Hi Steve, I been following this thread. I wonder if 15m might pop open? That 40m dipole should load up fine on 15m. If antenna work there, and if the propagation is there, 15m AM is a possibility.

73,
Jim
Wd5JKO

Jim....the dipole loads up on 15 Meters  I hear white noise and nothing else...spooky quiet...I'm questioning my RX working...

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Condx may be getting better with the recent solar activity...See you on 7285

   Hi Steve, I been following this thread. I wonder if 15m might pop open? That 40m dipole should load up fine on 15m. If antenna work there, and if the propagation is there, 15m AM is a possibility.

73,
Jim
Wd5JKO

Jim....the dipole loads up on 15 Meters  I hear white noise and nothing else...spooky quiet...I'm questioning my RX working...

I haven't heard any 15 AM signals in several weeks. SSB is still quite active.

[KL7OF]

Condx may be getting better with the recent solar activity...See you on 7285

   Hi Steve, I been following this thread. I wonder if 15m might pop open? That 40m dipole should load up fine on 15m. If antenna work there, and if the propagation is there, 15m AM is a possibility.

73,
Jim
Wd5JKO

Jim....the dipole loads up on 15 Meters  I hear white noise and nothing else...spooky quiet...I'm questioning my RX working...

I haven't heard any 15 AM signals in several weeks. SSB is still quite active.

15 meters is very quiet here this afternoon....Just enough to let me know the rx is not deaf..I just heard W8PW (Really) calling CQ from New Mexico 1 kw and a vertical and hes readable but PW.. Muf Map shows Alaska in the dead zone for 21Mhz right now..I'm in Naknek,Bristol bay  in SW Alaska on the Bering Sea

[KL7OF]

With a schedule made over SKYPE, I was able to work several stations yesterday evening at 0400 Z on 7285...Of note was KA7WOC /portable at his cabin in the cascades....PW with a vertical.. and KA7LW who did not know about the sked , just happened by and was operating from a motel room in Metaline Falls ,WA..Also were K7RLD who was strong from Seattle but couldn't hear me too well then W7ACM, Seattle, W7NWC from Astoria Oregon.  W1LYD made an appearance from Carcross, Yukon.  Brian was S9 here and it was good to see the meter move on the FT101E...As I write this, at 7:30 AM....I am listening to the "moonbeam" portion of a west coast net..I'm hearing stations from around the west and Hawaii...I can hear most all of them ,but no one moves the S meter..Audio only, very quiet here...OVER

[Tim WA1HnyLR]

Hi Steve,
You might try 20 meters with a vertical. I have been trying to get on Monday evenings. Rick VE6CQ has been active in the late evening for me ( after 11Pm ) Yes Radio China is very much a pain in the scrote.In the Winter they are very strapping. As of late, with propagation in the Summer months they are rather piss weak for the first half hour or so. They fire up on 7285@ 4Pm and run until 6Pm . They break up my QSOs . The only thing to do is slide down to 7270-75 . Usually it is quite quiet there. I should check out 17 meters(18.150) and 15 meters(21.430) . Hopefully I may catch you on one of the bands, Later
Tim

[KL7OF]

Hi Steve,
You might try 20 meters with a vertical. I have been trying to get on Monday evenings. Rick VE6CQ has been active in the late evening for me ( after 11Pm ) Yes Radio China is very much a pain in the scrote.In the Winter they are very strapping. As of late, with propagation in the Summer months they are rather piss weak for the first half hour or so. They fire up on 7285@ 4Pm and run until 6Pm . They break up my QSOs . The only thing to do is slide down to 7270-75 . Usually it is quite quiet there. I should check out 17 meters(18.150) and 15 meters(21.430) . Hopefully I may catch you on one of the bands, Later
Tim

Tim..Good to hear from you.......I am going to try to get on 20 metros..a Vertical might be a good idea....or a loop....I can't put up any wires that go across the boatyard because all the gillnetters have a mast and high antennas and they get hauled in and out of here on a regular basis...We have to get the power co to push up the power lines for a few of these boats...Brian has Tuesdays off and so will be at the cabin in Carx on Monday evenings for the 7285 sked  8 PM alaska time...I'll post if I get something going on 20 METERS>>>>>It would be cool to werk you on 20 from NAKNEK...the largest red salmon fishery on the planet...  Steve