Graveyard DX

WODI 1230khz DX Test May 1st

2005-04-27T09:17:00.000-07:00

=====DX TEST ALERT====================
WODI-1230khz in Brookneal, VA willconduct a DX test as part of theirtransmitter
maintenance this comingSaturday night.
Our best DX Test season in recentmemory continues...
=======================================

WODI 1230khz Brookneal, VA DX TestDate(s): May 1, 2005 (Late Saturday-Sunday Morning)Time: Midnight EDT (0400 UTC)Modes of Operation: 1kw
Programming: Morse Code ID's-Voice Announcements & "otherinteresting material".
Notes:

There will be a live call in portion of the DX test. Listenerswho are hearing the test are
invited to call 1-434-376-9634.
Reception reports should go to:
dave@wodiradio.com

All standard mail reports should go to:WODI Radio1230 Radio RoadBrookneal, VA 24528
Thanks to Dave Marthouse and the staff of WODI for arranging this test!
73,
Les Rayburn, N1LFIRCA-NRC Broadcast Test Coordinator

Canadian Advantage in GY DXing

2005-02-28T09:50:00.000-08:00

Our review of the DX records for individual stations revealed a large number of Canadian DX'ers who held distance records. When this topic was discussed on the GY DXing E-mail list, the results were interesting:

Like AMs in general, the GYs are less numerous here. By my count, there are only 51 GY stations left in Canada... only 5 in each of Ontario and Quebec. There are only two that I hear on a fairly regular basis:

CHUC-1450 and CFPS-1490. CHUC is a pest, especially when they're on their 8 kW day power, but they're moving to FM soon. Other than a weak groundwave signal from CHUC, the groundwave signals I get are from upstate NY, but none of them is overwhelmingly strong - the closest is 48 miles away. And I don't have locals on any first adjacents of the GYs either, so that helps. Other than that, I don't think I have any particular advantage in being where I am... basically, I've logged lots of GY stations mainly because I've probably been doing timed recording on the GY channels for a considerably longer period than anybody else.-Barry McLarnon

Your blog editor noted that if even if you eliminate Barry's considerable number of records, you're still left with a large number of GY records being held by Canadians. This generated some additional discussion.

That is indeed true. Andy Rugg held quite a number, although most of Andy's dated from his most active BCB DX days in the 1960's-70's.

Part of the answer, then and now, is less congestion on the frequncies in more than one direction. And I suspect that some sort of climatological effects may also play a part. -Russ Edmunds

I think it's fairly clear that, at least as far as setting distance records is concerned, you are better off being on the edge of the mass of GY stations than immersed in them. The average distance to GY stations in general increases as you move further away... if I relocated to Baffin Island, I could probably claim the domestic distance record for just about every GY station I heard. :-) -Barry McLarnon

Look at any GY frequency map in the NRC's "AM Station Map Book", and it is easy to see the problem. The concentration of GY's east of the Mississippi, and especially in East Coast states and the states that border them, is very dramatic when compared to the West.-Bill Dvorak

I agree with the general point that both Barry, Russ and Bill make. It does seem to be far better to be outside the cluster of GY stations, rather than in the middle of it...if your goal is capturing a record reception. Obviously being active with unattended recordings is also critical.

But as the density of GY stations falls off towards the Western United States, I'd still expect to see more records held by DX'ers in those locations. Perhaps the greater impact of AU conditions to the North gives Canadian DX'ers yet another advantage, not enjoyed by those in the West.

Several DX'ers have noted that "stirring the soup" with rapidly changing conditions can be critical to new loggings. Having more frequent and greater AU frequency could certainly account for some of their success.

Another factor might be that Canada is blessed with having dedicated and well equipped DX'ers, who are also located in a good spot for this type of DXing. Barry McLarnon certainly seems to hear almost every signal out there! : )

Origin of the term "Graveyard"

2005-02-28T09:37:00.000-08:00

Veteran GY DX'er Bob Foxworth commented on the origin of the phrase "Graveyard" to describe the local channels. So far, no one has come forward with any "proof" for how this term came into widespread acceptance. But Bob's explanation seems logical.

Perhaps an etymological explanation of the term

"graveyard" itself. My understanding of this term is that

it is an allusion to the way the stations are packed in

together geographically, across the breadth of the

country, just as headstones are arranged close together

in a cemetery..Robert Foxworth

GY Exceptions (1230khz)

2005-02-23T11:22:00.000-08:00

Most graveyard stations run the standard authorization of 1000watts/1000watts ND C. There are however, exceptions to this on each of the frequencies. Some stations operate with directional arrays and/or reduced power during various dayparts to protect nearby stations.

I was curious about how well these stations were received at great distances compared to their full power, non directional counterparts. I chose to look at 1230khz and noted all the exceptions. I then compared their achivement records on Bill Hale's web site.

As you can see from the complete list below, most of these stations fared very well. For example, KWSN in SD which is authorized to run only 440 watts has been heard at a distance of 510 miles. KELY in Ely, NV has been received at 522 miles while running only 250 watts.

It's clear that on the graveyard frequencies, propagation, and not power are more important for DX. Some stations certainly benefit from more effective antenna arrays, better ground conductivity, or topography. On each frequency, there are certain stations that are routinely heard at great distances.

KEVA in Evantson, WY has had two very successful DX tests in recent years. They are consistently heard in more states than most GY stations--this can only be explained by the factors mentioned above.

It would be interesting to compile a list of stations for each channel that are heard routinely at great distances, and then study each one to determine why they do so well.

The complete study is published below:

1230khz
----------------------------

KWG
1230 kHZ

Format: Religious
Network: Eternal Word Network
Slogan: Sharing The Heart Of The Christian Faith
Licensed: Stockton, CA
Owner: Immaculate Heart Radio
Began Operation: 1921
Facilities: 900w/900w ND C
[tower]
Transmitter: 37° 57' 34" N 121° 15' 28" W;

Record: Phil Bytheway, Seattle, WA-669 Miles.

WXLI
1230 kHZ

Format: Country/S. Gospel
Slogan: Classic Country
Licensed: Dublin, GA
Owner: Kirby Broadcasting Co.
Began Operation: 1958
Facilities: 700w/700w ND C
[tower]
Transmitter: 32° 31' 21" N 82° 0' 0" W

Record: Jeff Falconer, Clinton, ON 771 Miles

WTCJ
1230 kHZ

Format: Adult Stand.
Network: ABC-Stardust
Slogan: Memories WTCJ 1230 AM
Licensed: Tell City, IN
Owner: Cromwell Group, Inc.
Began Operation: 1948
Facilities: 850w/850w ND C
[tower]
Transmitter: 37° 56' 16" N 86° 45' 28" W

Record: Barry McLarnon, Ottawa, ON 764 miles

WHOP
1230 kHZ

Format: Talk/Sports
Shows: Michael Reagan, Mike Gallagher, Rush, Sean Hannity
Slogan: NewsTalk 1230
Licensed: Hopkinsville, KY
Owner: Key Broadcasting, Inc.
Co-owned: WHOP-FM
Began Operation: 1940
Facilities: 830w/830w ND C
[tower]
Transmitter: 36° 52' 54" N 87° 30' 44" W

Record: Jeff Falconer, Clinton, ON 562 miles

WGRY
1230 kHZ

Format: Adult Stand.
Network: Jones-Music of Your Life
Slogan: Music Of Your Life
Licensed: Grayling, MI
Owner: Gannon Broadcasting Systems, Inc.
Web Site: http://www.gannonbroadcasting.com
Began Operation: 1970
Facilities: 750w/750w ND C
[tower]
Transmitter: 44° 39' 5" N 84° 44' 18" W

Record: No record listed currently

KGHS
1230 kHZ

Format: Adult Cont.
Network: Jones-Adult Contemporary
Slogan: The Border's Best
Licensed: International Falls, MN
Owner: Quarnstrom Stations
Web Site: http://www.ksdmradio.com
Began Operation: 1959
Facilities: 460w/229w ND C
[tower]
Transmitter: 48° 35' 29" N 93° 22' 54" W

Record: Eric Wesolowski, Omaha, NE 526 miles.

KWIX
1230 kHZ

Format: Talk
Shows: Bruce Williams, Dr Laura, Jim Bohannon, Rush
Slogan: Information Radio
Licensed: Moberly, MO
Owner: Shepherd Group
Netcast: [Live] Web Site: http://www.regionalradio.com/KWIX/kwix.htm
Began Operation: 1950
Facilities: 490w/1000w ND C
[tower]
Transmitter: 39° 24' 11" N 92° 25' 57" W

Record: Esa Hanninen, Lemmenioki, Finland 4336 miles
North American Record: shawn Axelrod, Winnipeg, MB 747 Miles

KTNC
1230 kHZ

Format: Oldies
Slogan: Today's News, Yesterday's Favorites, Oldies 1230 KTNC, Falls City
Licensed: Falls City, NE
Owner: C.R. Communications, Inc.
Began Operation: 1957
Facilities: 500w/1000w ND C
[tower]
Transmitter: 40° 3' 57" N 95° 36' 55" W

Record: Paul Swearingen, Topeka, KS 70 miles

KPSA
1230 kHZ

Format: Span.-Hits Bilingual
Slogan: K-Pasa
Licensed: Roswell, NM
Owner: Roswell Radio, Inc.
Co-owned: KBCQ, KMOU, KSFX
LMA: controls: KINF
Web Site: http://www.roswellradio.org
Began Operation: 1947
Facilities: 800w/800w ND C
[tower]
Transmitter: 33° 23' 24" N 104° 29' 45" W

Record: Frank Merrill, Macomb, IL 912 miles.

KYVA
1230 kHZ

Format: Trad. Country/Sports
Network: ABC-Real Country
Slogan: Thunder Country
Licensed: Gallup, NM
Owner: Millennium Media, Inc.
Began Operation: 1959
Facilities: 920w/92w ND C
[tower]
Transmitter: 35° 32' 2" N 108° 42' 18" W

Record: Tim Hall Chula Vista, CA 509 Miles

KELY
1230 kHZ

Format: Classic Hits
Network: Jones-Classic Hits
Licensed: Ely, NV
Owner: Ruby Radio Corp.
Began Operation: 1950
Facilities: 250w/250w ND C
[tower]
Transmitter: 39° 15' 45" N 114° 51' 46" W

Record: John Wilkins, Wheat Bridge, CO 522 Miles

KJFK
1230 kHZ

Format: Sports
Network: Fox Sports Radio
Slogan: K-Play
Licensed: Reno, NV
Owner: Americom Broadcasting
Co-owned: KBZZ, KLCA, KODS, KRNO, KZTQ
Web Site: http://www.kply.com
Began Operation: 1963
Facilities: 820w/820w ND C
[tower]
Transmitter: 39° 30' 41" N 119° 42' 51" W

Record: Nancy Johnson, Aberdeen, WA 556 miles.

KMUZ
1230 kHZ

Format: Span.-Oldies
Network: Recuerdos
Slogan: Recuerdos
Licensed: Gresham, OR
Owner: Amador Bustos
Co-owned: KGDD, KXMG, KZNY
Began Operation: 1956
Facilities: 920w/920w ND C
[tower]
Transmitter: 45° 29' 3" N 122° 24' 40" W

Record: Esa Hanninen, Lemmenjoki, Finland 4376 miles
NA Record: Tim Hall, Manning Park Resort, BC 296 miles

WEEX
1230 kHZ

Format: Sports
Network: ESPN Radio Network
Slogan: ESPN Radio 1230
Licensed: Easton, PA
Owner: Nassau Broadcasting
Co-owned: WODE-FM, WTKZ, WWYY, WYNS
Web Site: http://www.espnlv.com
Began Operation: 1956
Facilities: 840w/1000w DA-D C
[tower]
Transmitter: 40° 42' 30" N 75° 12' 60" W

Record: Denis Picard, Trois-Rivieres-Quest, QC 411 Miles

WKBO
1230 kHZ

Format: Cont. Christ. brokered
Network: Salem - The Word in Praise
Slogan: Fortress 1230
Licensed: Harrisburg, PA
Owner: Clear Channel Communications
Co-owned: WHKF, WHP, WHP-DT, WHP-TV, WRBT, WRVV, WTKT
LMA: controls: WLYH-TV
Web Site: http://www.oneheartministries.com/fortress_1230am_wkbo.htm
Began Operation: 1922
Facilities: 480w/480w ND C
[tower]
Transmitter: 40° 16' 52" N 76° 52' 6" W

Record: Frank Merrill, Milan, MI 379 miles.

KWSN
1230 kHZ

Format: Sports
Network: ESPN Radio Network
Slogan: All Sports Radio
Licensed: Sioux Falls, SD
Owner: Midcontinent Radio of South Dakota, Inc.
Co-owned: KELO, KELO-FM, KRRO, KTWB
Netcast: [Live] Web Site: http://www.kwsn.com
Began Operation: 1948
Facilities: 440w/440w ND C
[tower]
Transmitter: 43° 33' 31" N 96° 49' 10" W

Record: John Johsnon Sheridan, WY 510 miles.

WAKI
1230 kHZ

Format: Talk
Shows: Clark Howard, Rush, Sean Hannity
Licensed: McMinnville, TN
Owner: Clear Channel Communications
Began Operation: 1947
Facilities: 620w/1000w ND C
[tower]
Transmitter: 35° 39' 60" N 85° 46' 35" W

Record: Russ Edmunds, Glen Rock, NJ 682 miles

KTJK
1230 kHZ

Format: Tejano
Slogan: Puro Tejano
Licensed: Del Rio, TX
Owner: Forum Broadcasting
Web Site: http://www.ktjk.com
Began Operation: 1947
Facilities: 860w/860w ND C
[tower]
Transmitter: 29° 25' 45" N 100° 54' 17" W

Record: Don Trelford, Runaway Bay 1672 miles

WTTB 1490 and KEVA 1240 Test Results

2005-02-22T09:46:00.000-08:00

WTTB 1490khz Vero Beach, FL DX Test

A short, twenty minute test was conducted by Juan Gualda. The test was received in four states, including Florida, Texas, North Carolina, and New York. Juan informs us that he may be able to conduct a longer test later in the season.

Robert Foxworth, noted GY DX'er, noticed that the NRC Sweep Tones seemed to cut through the noise better than even the Morse Code (CW) identification.

Thanks to Juan for this great test!

KEVA 1240khz Evantston, WY DX Test
The much longer one hour test by KEVA was heard in an amazing tweleve states, including incredible receptions by Bill Harms of Elkridge, Maryland! It was also noted in far away states like Alabama, Tennessee, and on most of the West Coast. Two Canadian providences also logged this test.

Our thanks to Michael Richard for another great test. KEVA really gets out!