Monster TP Signals in a Lean Solar Year
Hello All,
Although the recent TP-DX season has generally featured weaker signals (and less exotic DX) than the exciting years of 2009 and 2010, there were some interesting exceptions. Four Asiatic mainland TP's managed their best signals ever here in Puyallup recently, including 1566-HLAZ only three days ago. Two other Korean big guns (972-HLCA and the 1053-Jammer) routinely pegged the S/N display on the PL-380 Ultralight in early October; in fact, 972-HLCA's monster signal on October 5th was the strongest TP signal ever received here in 6 years of DXing. The other Asiatic TP reaching its best-ever signal level this season was 603-China (presumed Hulun Buir), which has apparently has had some type of antenna upgrade to enable it to dominate the frequency here recently. On the other hand, the Japanese NHK stations were real underperformers here this past season, with none of them even coming close to their optimal signal levels.
For those interested, MP3 recording links for these best-ever TP signals are pasted below. They were all received with hot-rodded (7.5" loopstick) Ultralight radios and an 8" FSL antenna. With the exception of 603-China, all of them easily pegged the Ultralight radio signal strength displays.
603 China (Presumed Hulun Buir) Female conversation
and vocal music at 1313 UTC on September 15, 2012
972 HLCA Dangjin, S. Korea Female speech during
news at 1403 UTC on October 5, 2012; this was the
strongest TP signal ever received here in Puyallup
1053 Korean Jammer Best-ever signal with monster buzz
at 1317 UTC on September 15, 2012
1566 Jeju, S. Korea Huge signal during Chinese Christian
program at 1558 UTC on January 24, 2013
73 and Good DX,
Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)