Tag Archives: Paul Walker

Paul’s DXing location in Galena, Alaska with sample logs and an update of music broadcast

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Walker, who shares the image above and the following:

How about a video [from Galena, AK]? Here’s one I shot on the evening of April 15th while DXin’g and apparently logging Radio Bandeirantes 9645 kHz in Brazil:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7fnLA9aYvA

Looks like a beautiful DX location you’ve got there, Paul. You’ve obviously found ways to mitigate receiver overload from the broadcast station with the number of loggings you’ve been posting as of late.

Indeed, Paul recently forwarded the following sample of logs from this very DXing spot. Paul writes:

Unless otherwise noted, all loggings were from a Tecsun PL-880 with an 80 foot long wire 5 feet up in a tree. My location is Galena, Alaska which is a village of 500 people about 300 miles east of Nome, Alaska and 300 miles west of Fairbanks, Alaska.

Comments questions or thoughts always welcome!

I was able to log Channel Africa broadcasting in French on 15235 kHz, two mornings last week.

This recording was made on Friday April 8, 2015 at 8:45 AM Alaska Daylight Time/1645UTC. I would rate the signal about 6 1/2 out of 10 with good audio, some light fading and no interference.

Audio here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAvB-s7GeG4

This recording was made on Wednesday April 6, 2015 at 8:37 AM Alaska Daylight Time/1637UTC. The signal was about a 6 out of 10 with moderate fading, a little more then the recording made on April 8th.

Audio here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vylScGVsYfM

Radio Thailand 9390 kHz

This recording was made on Saturday April 9, 2015 at 10:36 AM Alaska Daylight Time/1836UTC. I would rate the signal about 7 1/2 to 8 out of 10 with good audio, some light fading and no interference.

Audio here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=31&v=nKwKakToMNs

Voice of Indoneisa 9526 kHz

This recording was made on Saturday April 9, 2015 at 10:36 AM Alaska Daylight Time/1836UTC. I would rate the signal about 4 1/2 out of 10 with ok audio, some light to moderate fading and some interference.

Audio here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06ZvqXEVhyE

Voice of Vietnam 9625 kHz

This recording was made on Saturday April 9, 2015 at 9:00AM Alaska Daylight Time/1700UTC. I would rate the signal about 4 out of 10 with fair audio, some light to moderate fading and little interference.

Audio here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39s2HNJmHEs

All India Radio 11620 kHz

This recording was made on Saturday April 10 , 2015 at 1:29PM Alaska Daylight Time/2129UTC. I would rate the signal about 6 out of 10 with GOOD audio, some light to moderate fading and no interference.

Audio here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89QJHdZyVKU

Note: This was by FAR the best reception I’ve ever had of AIR. Their audio is usually pretty piss poor with poor quality and low modulation. Plus, their signal just isn’t that good usually.

I have also logged Voice Of Korea on 2850, 3320, 6100, 6400, 12015, 7220, 11910, 11935, 11735, 15105, 15180, 13760, 13650, 7580, 9650, 9875, 9445, 9665, 9425, 6170 and 3250 kHz.

Radio Algerienne Holy Quran and Radio Saudi are fairly regular visitors here and at times, pretty strong.

6160 kHz via Vancouver is heard several times a week…sometimes just barely, and other times, like a few days ago, nearly like a local.

The upper bands, 15 and 17 MHz seem to do real well here, especially by day, even smack in the middle of the day. I’ve heard RFI and DW via Issoudun right around lunch time in the 15 MHz area of the band.

I get Zanzibar on 11735 kHz from time to time…usually at least at fair levels.

CFRX 6070 is heard just about nightly, sometimes poor and barely audible but many times at least poor to fair and listenable. Now and then it’s pretty strong and listenable.

That is an impressive number of stations you’ve logged. It appears one of your easiest catches is Voice of Korea–I’m not surprised since you’re certainly within their broadcast footprint.

New Music Show and Contest

Many of you know that Paul also hosts an occasional music show via shortwave. Paul recently set times and frequencies for the next show–he notes:

I will be on WRMI, 7570 kHz from 0400-0600UTC Saturday June 2nd, Which is 12 midnight to 2 AM Eastern/9 PM to 11pm Pacific on Friday June 1st.

More oldies and rock n roll music with some country thrown in. I’m working on a CONTEST with some cool radio prizes and even bigger…. I am ironing out the technical details and going to try and do the 2 hot show live from my studio in Galena, Alaska.

My target audience this time with be the West Coast of the US and Canada. I expected the Midwestern US to get a good signal from the 315 degree beam towards Vancouver, Canada as it has to pass over the Midwest to get to the West Coast.

Contest details and QSL information to be released before the show!

I’ll plan to re-post this announcement, with any updates, closer to the broadcast date of June 2, 2016.

Thanks again, Paul, for sharing some of your radio world!

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Can you help Paul ID this station?

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Walker, who is seeking your help. Paul writes:

Well, I think I have an ID but I also think I’m wrong.

I had weather in english by a female computerized voice on 6518.80USB. Heard on 04/10/16 at 910PM AKDT (0510UTC 04/11/16) in Galena, Alaska using a Tecsun PL880 and 80 foot longwire.

Here’s the audio, all 7 minutes and 3 seconds worth:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GanBsfuyS0

Click here to listen on YouTube.

It was fairly clear and pretty steady here in the middle of central Alaska.
It was giving weather for the Caribbean and apparently the only hit I can find online for either both from Eibi and Google says that 6518.80 USB belongs to Punta Carretas, Uruguay.

If that’s really what I heard, A.) It was strong and B.) Why was it in english?
I suspect I didn’t really have them and it was from somewhere else. This signal is just to be good to be Uruguay, but a DX says they are the only things that come up in a search for 6518.80 USB but the times I heard them don’t match.

If you can help Paul, please comment!

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Paul seeks your input for upcoming broadcasts

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SWLing Post contributor, Paul Walker, is seeking your input for his next shortwave broadcast. Paul writes:

Thomas, I will be doing another shortwave broadcast in about 2 months and I need some input from your readers, particularly those in the US.

I will likely broadcast just on WRMI this time, but instead of an East Coast target area on 11580khz, I am going to aim for the Midwest & West Coast via 5850khz or 7570khz.

It appears the signals which are on 2300UTC to 1400UTC daily have the same beam at 315 degrees towards Vancouver, Canada. They both appear to cover the Midwest fairly well as hitting the west coast.

I would love to hear from readers if there is an actual difference in the two signals despite the same power and beam. Maybe one channel has adjacent channel interference or something.

If folks could check either frequency as close as possible to 0500UTC/12midnight eastern and note conditions on both signal and the differences between the two, I would appreciate it. (0500utc/12midnight eastern wlll likely be the time of my next broadcast.

One friend already reported slightly better audio processing and slightly better modulation. […]I want to know what my target audience in the Midwest & Western US thinks.

Thanks,
Paul

Please feel free to comment if you can assist Paul.

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Paul’s shortwave logs, commentary and audio from Alaska

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KIYU in Galena, Alaska

SWLing Post contributor, Paul Walker, is a radio host for KIYU in remote village of Galena, Alaska–we recently posted a few photos of Paul on site.

Many thanks to Paul for sharing the following notes about SWLing at his location. Paul writes:

Right now, all I have to DX with is a Tecsun PL-880 and PK’s loop 6-18 MHz tuneable SW Loop antenna. I am investigating a location to put up a long wire or massive box loop antenna somewhere away from home.

It has to be away from home as I have 2 FM and 1 TV transmitter above my head plus an ungodly amount of electrical noise and RF overload. The banks of the Yukon River are 500 feet from my office and apartment, so that’s a good location.. just need a way to secure a long wire or box loop. I am also in the process of finding an FM Low pass filter to filter out the FM stations real nearby that overload certain parts of the SW dial.

I am in Galena, Alaska. It is a village of about 500 people in the central part of Alaska, we are 300 miles west of Fairbanks and 300 miles east of Nome. Off the road system, everything is flown in 8 months or so out of the year and when the river is flowing, it’s barged in.

Radio Australia and Radio New Zealand are weak here, some days barely listenable, other days passable, but not very strong here. I’ve not heard anything from Radio Taiwan International here, yet I could get them weakly in California and in Arkansas.

I can hear CRI daily, the stuff that comes from their Beijing area SW transmitters is quite listenable.

What I can hear with regularity and strangely, a very good signal depending on the frequency, is The Voice Of North Korea. I’ve logged The Voice Of Korea on about A DOZEN different frequencies! What I can’t figure out is why? Some of the Voice of Korea broadcasts are near local AM radio station like strength many nights. I could hear them fairly well in northern California, but not always so strong.

Why I can’t figure out is the Voice Of Korea broadcasts that I’m hearing, what is their target area? It would sure seem I am not in the direct beam for any of their target areas, being so far north.

The strongest Voice Of Korea broadcasts for me are generally, not always, 15180 kHz and 11735 kHz. I’ve heard them on several 6 and 7 MHz frequencies which are listenable, but never very strong. I’ve also heard them in a few places in the 9mhz band and those are generally pretty listenable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGhjfshf87Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vkn7dgnk2m4

I did hear Voice Of Korea on 3250 kHz about a week ago. The signal was weak but steady and it was very clearly them.

I’ve heard them in the 13 MHz band one night and that signal was pretty strong. I did get them a few days ago smack in the middle of the day at 11910 kHz which was a bit surprising.

I expect when I construct a massive(and very directional box loop) or put up a longwire, My DX will greatly improve beyond the average stuff I’m getting now.

I’ve also logged Radyo Pilipinas on 17700 and 17820 kHz, several instances of the Firedrake Jammer on different frequencies, CRI and NHK (CRI & NHK are to be expected here).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAiMb5BMFDU

I did have a surprising reception of All India Radio on 7550 kHz.

Also logged recently was RFI on 15300 kHz, BBC WS on 15400 kHz, Voice of America on 15580 kHz, Radio Exterior De Espana 15390/15500 kHz, RN de Brasilia 11780 kHz among others.

You can hear audio of my reception on my YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/user/OnAirDJPaulWalker

Some of my clips range from merely 30 seconds long to 20 minutes. The longer clips are usually when I had much better. Some clips are video, held up to the radio showing the dial, others are audio onlly.

As always, comments and discussion always welcome.

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Reminder: Paul’s music show “The Classics Experience”

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Paul Walker at KIYU Alaska.

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Walker, who sends this reminder about his music show on WBCQ, WRMI, and Channel 292 this Friday and Saturday:

“The Classics Experience”, 2 hours of oldies and a smattering of country airs this week.

Tune into WRMI 11580khz, ~~8pm to 10pm eastern Friday/0100 to 0300utc Saturday~~ [CORRECTION: 0100 to 0300 UTC Friday, 8-10 pm EST Thursday].

I’ll be on WBCQ 5130khz AND 9330khz (YES, A SIMULCAST!) Friday 10:05pm to 12:005AM (0300 to 0500utc)

I’ll also be on Channel 292, 6070khz Friday from 2205 utc Friday to 0005 UTC Saturday ( 10pm to 12midnight UK time)

No political or religious rants and no personal opinion.. just music and stuff like that.

QSL Address:

Paul Walker
PO Box 353
Galena, AK 99741

with $2 US appreciated to cover costs of postage, envelopes and stamps. If I get enough response, I will likely get some REAL qsl cards printed rather then just send out letters (The place i get stuff printed at has a minimum of 25 or 50 cards, I forget which

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Slight change to Paul’s Channel 292 broadcast

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SWLing Post contributor, Paul Walker, who hosts a radio show on WBCQ and Channel 292, writes:

My WBCQ broadcast has changed, slightly. It will be on 9330, still, but 5110 has moved to 5130 khz.

[Also] to avoid a collision with Vaitcan Radio on 6070 khz, which is on 2140-2200, my Channel 292 broadcast moves from its originally scheduled airtime of 2100-2300 UTC to 2205-0005 UTC.

Thanks for the update, Paul!

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