LEM281 - 24-31.10 (HAS,HN)

LEM 281 = Hannu Asikainen and Hannu Niilekselä, both from the capital district. Lots of NRD-535´s, SDR-IQ´s and one Perseus.

24.10 - 25.10

We arrived to Lemmenjoki at noon on Saturday 24th. The first plugged NRD gave hints of NA with fair signals from the western parts of the U.S. However just the usual stuff, as far as we could determine while unpacking and installing our rigs.

Gradually we got the technical side somewhat in shape and started to take a more serious touch to what was going on. We could only confirm what we had anticipated - nothing of true interest from NA was coming in. But stregthening signals towards Hawaii kept our interest awake, even if in the end only the most common hawaiians were logged. BUT, they led us to monitor also the rest of the pacific, just in case. And that certainly paid off. As we noted a couple of the most common NZ st.ations, we naturally started to search for more. And more we heard, which also left the anticipation that "there still might be something on the SDR/Perseus recordings".

When we started going through those, the cold truth was revealed: we had experienced the once-in-a-lifetime opening towards NZ - not a single aussie (except for a couple of the most common ones on the X-band) were noted. But NZ, yes. No logged stations in the lower end of the mw-band, but the further up we checked, the wilder it got (sorry about the possible mistakes with + for first in Finland, these are "out-of-the-memory"):

1035 Newstalk ZB, Wellington
1080 Newstalk ZB, Auckland
+ 1107 R Live, Tauranga
+ 1161 Te Reo..., Wellington
+ 1215 Newstalk ZB, Kaikohe
1224 UNID with Sporting News Flash
+ 1233 R Live, Wellington
1296 Newstalk ZB, Hamilton
1332 R Sport, Auckland
+ 1341 Newstalk ZB, Nelson
+ 1359 Coast, New Plymouth
+ 1377 R Sport, Levin
1386 R Tarana, Auckland (superstrong)
+ 1413 Newstalk ZB, Tokoroa
1476 R Trackside, Auckland
+ 1494 Southern Star, Hamilton
+ 1503 R Sport, Wellington/Chirstchurch
+ 1530 Coast, Napier-Hastings
+ 1557 Coast, Hawera
1593 tent. R Samoa, Auckland
1602 tent. 2XA, Levin

The signals partially peaked at times when Newstalk ZB had breaks with local commercials. The recordings have been quite thoroughly checked, so it is unlikely that the list would get any longer...

From NA the night 24/25 was an interesting one. No east coast in the evening, but opening directly to Colorado and Idaho, with signals coming in with power from clear daylight. Nothing spectacular listening live, but maybe something in the recordings...Some LA in the morning and later in the day stations fading in and out with fair signals for short periods, mainly west coast again. Almost dead in the afternoon

The best station from NA so far + KEZY San Bernardino CA. More to come...