Churchill YQ 305 kHz 0155 UTC 08 Oct 2019

[skeezix]

0155Z 15551 S3 Picking up YQ from Churchill, MB. Due to static crashes & other nonsense on the band, had to tune to 305.400 kHz CW to get the ID. Very clear there. In AM on 305, its a jumbled mess of noise.
0208Z 15551 S- Faded significantly and is just barely above the noise.
0221Z 15551 S- Slightly above the noise.


It will be going QRT (officially) on Oct 10, 2019 at 0901 UTC.

[jFarley]

Much as we hate to see any NDB go silent, I'm OK with this one.  YQ blocks reception of the Holy Grail of NDBs for NA DXers, LT 305 in Alert, NU. 

Although there are hundreds of LT logs by European DXers, AFAIK there is only one log of it here in NA.

[skeezix]

10-OCT-2019
0011Z No stations heard on 305.400 CW.
0025Z 15541 Can hear the CW ID & the tone on 305.400. Some lightning in the region.
0157Z 35543 Signal pretty good. Still on CW for the ID. When on AM, can hear it, but its distorted. Might be due to a nearby DGPS station.
1105Z 35543 Still coming in (0605 CDT)


I'm not happy to see it go, as I've been to Churchill. However, I do understand LT and I've just add that to my list of things to catch. We have the same problem in the DGPS realm, but only for another year.

YQ will block LT on AM, but on CW, should be able to hear both.

[ChrisSmolinski]

Much as we hate to see any NDB go silent, I'm OK with this one.  YQ blocks reception of the Holy Grail of NDBs for NA DXers, LT 305 in Alert, NU. 

Although there are hundreds of LT logs by European DXers, AFAIK there is only one log of it here in NA.

Now you have given me a NDB target, jFarley.

[skeezix]

11-Oct-2019

0111Z Not heard. It should be gone, but was hoping that since it was still on a couple of hours after it was scheduled to be off, they forgot to turn it off like a bunch of the U.S. DGPS stations that should be long gone by now, but are not.

0403Z 25542 S3 YQ is not off. Hearing it fine on 305.4 kHz CW.


12-Oct-2019
0244Z 15541 S3 YQ is still coming in. 305.4 CW

14-Oct-2019
0237Z Nothing heard.
1058Z 35543 Coming in nice & strong. Even with nearby DGPS stations can pick it up on AM.

[pinto vortando]

10-12-19 @ 0830Z...  YQ still pounding in... good sigs in here.

[jFarley]

14Oct19...it's still chugging away.

Promises promises.

[ChrisSmolinski]

14Oct19...it's still chugging away.

Promises promises.

Four DGPS stations that were supposed to be liquidated by the end of FY2019 are still on the air.

Hmm... they are all close to Skeezix. I am sure that is purely coincidental. Probably.

[skeezix]

Hmm... they are all close to Skeezix. I am sure that is purely coincidental. Probably.

"These aren't the NDBs you're looking for... "

[jFarley]

Seems like YQ gone now; not a trace in last nite's recording.  No trace of LT Alert either.

Even w/o YQ there, logging LT will still be tough.  At 82.5N, it is the most northerly NDB.  Right behind it is YEU 205 in Eureka, NU at 80.0N.  I have logged that once in each of the 2 prior seasons, but not yet this year.

Gentlemen; start your search engines.

[ChrisSmolinski]

305 kHz is dead center in my nightly DGPS recordings, so I will try to remember to look for it now and then, maybe whenever I notice a good opening to AK/BC. Which was certainly not last night.

[Josh]

lol @ pirate dgps stations

[skeezix]

I have yet to hear even the faintest signal that would slightly suggest the extreme remote possibility that LT may exist. However, I did get OI from Sioux City, IA. Hardly DX.