August 21nd, 2017
Eclipse peak: 18:22 UTC / 2:22pm EDT, 85% Totality
Antenna: DKAZ loop aimed 180 degrees South
Receiver: Perseus SDR
Location: Western lower Michigan
While enjoying the eclipse outside, the SDR was faithfully recording large chunks of RF spectrum which should provide much enjoyment over the next few weeks. Peak DX time occurred here near the bottom of the hour before tapering off at 19:00 UTC. Fishing for IDs at TOH isn’t going to cut it this time around and it’ll require careful listening of content and other clues near the BOH to pick out the more unusual or desirable signals. That being said, here’s just a very partial start, beginning with the x-band down to 1580. Nothing new so far, but I’ve barely scratched the surface! If nothing else, just hearing Florida from Michigan in the middle of a hot summer day is something I won’t soon forget.
Here’s a start with more to follow in coming weeks:
1580 kHz: WLPK Connersville, IN. (245w), WHLY South Bend, IN., WAMW Washington, IN. (500w) and others jumbled together @ 18:30 UTC before returning to normal cx at 19:00 UTC with WWSJ St. Johns, MI.
1600 kHz: Goes from threshold WAAM Ann Arbor, MI. to a big jumbled mess by 18:30 UTC. Heard in the mix: KATZ St. Louis, MO., WAOS Austell, GA. @ 653 miles, “Newstalk 94.1” WUCT Algood, TN. (2.5kw @ 484 miles) & an oldies station matching the webstream of WTZQ Hendersonville, NC. (5kw @ 579 miles).
1620 kHz: Blank channel but WNRP w/ Dave Ramsey begins to appear faintly at 18:21 UTC until building to a respectable signal by 18:28 UTC. By 18:30 UTC, TIS pest WQBR256 decides to get in on the action along with another unid station under a now powerhouse signal from WNRP @ 882 miles giving Pennsicola weather. Peaked at around 18:36 UTC and then slowly faded and gone by 18:50 UTC.
1630 kHz: WRDW Augusta, GA. @ 704 miles with sports talk peaking around 18:33 UTC over KCJJ.
1640 kHz: WTNI Biloxi, MS. @ 891 miles with sports talk mixing with WSJP Sussex, WI. peaking around 18:35 UTC.
1660 kHz: Dominated by semi-local WQLR Kalamazoo up until eclipse peak, then Allman Bros. “Midnight Rider” crept up and rivaled WQLR for a few minutes at 18:35 UTC, likely WBCN Charlotte, NC. @ 617 miles.
1670 kHz: Threshold audio from presumed WOZN Madison, WI. which peaked to a strong signal by 18:28 UTC with another weak sports talker under it. By 18:34 UTC, the weak sports talker is identified as WMGE Dry Branch, GA. w/ FOX Sports @ 730 miles.
1680 kHz: It’s semi-local WPRR dominating the channel, as usual. Music begins to be heard around 18:21 UTC and peaks in strength at 18:28 UTC with a nice solid “99.7 My FM” and into Deee-Lite’s “Groove is the Heart”. This is KRJO Monroe, LA. @ 806 miles. Still there but way under WPRR by 18:36 UTC.
1700 kHz: @ 18:00 UTC the channel is dead. KBGG Des Moines @ 392 miles the first to appear with Sports program about 1813 UTC with good signal. KBGG soon mixing with UNID SS talk and into SS music (maybe KKLF?). By 18:29 UTC, KBGG is gone and now replaced by an overly strong WEUP Huntsville, AL. @ 582 miles to the South.
