For traveling DXers looking to set up gain antennas on salt water beaches, Hong Kong is about as bad as it gets. Because of the highest population density on the planet most of its beaches are either privately owned, inaccessible or overcrowded, with dubious security. The additional quirks of having loud RFI in many areas, five local AM pests and prolific mainland Chinese stations from 531-1593 kHz add to its "worst case scenario" DXing reputation.

      In order to make any real progress in Hong Kong AM-DXing it was necessary to "think outside of the box," taking Ultralight radios on daytime DXing trips to Macau, and Hong Kong's Rockwork-like plunging cliff of Cape D'Aguilar (the previous British administration's chosen site for the territory's long range communications antennas). A wild and wacky harbor side sunset skip session was tried on April 7th, resulting in some awesome Vietnamese, Thai and Bangladesh signals on a 5 inch FSL antenna (as well as a pretty bizarre crowd of staring Chinese onlookers). Finally, after a complete lack of long range DX on the first five days, the desperate measure of shoving a souped-up Ultralight radio outside the security window of our 12th floor apartment building around sunrise resulted in four surprising signals from eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

      DXing in Hong Kong was a crash course in overcoming RFI, ultra-crowded beaches, five Chinese dialects and six Southeast Asian languages, but after a serious assist from the Real DX language experts the results were definitely worth the effort. Multiple unusual stations from Taiwan, Vietnam and Thailand pounded in at serious strength, many of which have never shown up on our west coast. 585-LNR in Laos managed an S9 signal, along with good signals from 1413-Oman and (briefly) 1431-Djibouti. Several mysteries from Hawaii DXing were solved by this Hong Kong trip, and vice versa. For west coast DXers looking for a close range investigation of exotic Southeast Asian targets, Hong Kong has a lot to offer-- once you get outside of the RFI-saturated motels.

531  BED34 ("I Go 531")   Tacheng, Taiwan   10 kW   Good level with TOH routine during daytime DX at HK's Cape D'Aguilar at 0800 on 4-6, including multiple "I Go" ID's and mention of Taipei over a weak co-channel (probably DZBR)  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/r78bqvi1iqiibrs6eu75ziylomf2bu5n

531  DZBR   Batangas, Philippines   10 kW   All alone at good level with TOH routine and "DZBR, Bible Radio" ID at 38 seconds at 1200 on 4-2; this was the dominant 531 station in the HK apartment during the evening  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/3jbfza194lc4dejwtzj3nj8lid2gymwk

531  Radio Thailand   Maha Sarakham, Thailand   25 kW   Dominating the frequency over an UnID Chinese (apparently Zhejiang, not Taiwan) during sunset skip on the Hong Kong waterfront at 1308 on 4-7 (thanks to Ken Alexander of Thailand for language identification)  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/wruzkxfrmgn11dc12uf7gj1t0nydlmq1

531  Zhejiang RGD Synchros   China   Rapid-paced female Mandarin speech slowly losing out to Taiwan's music program at 1623 on 4-6; this lady's voice matches that of a 531 Chinese UnID recorded in Poipu, Hawaii under JOQG, pretty much solving the mystery  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/yky03ppbd1i7janb9ync2ga34npk4unh

540  CNR1   Danzhou, Hainan?   Chinese opera // 639 mixing with female Thai from Bangkok at 1310 on 4-7; CNR1 is a daytimer at Hong Kong's Cape D'Aguilar, presumably from the 10 kW Hainan transmitter  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/i1m9bmnvlpae7bicn0j5zbk7il94hte4

540  DZWT   Baguio, Philippines   10 kW  Mixing with CNR1 during daytime DX at Hong Kong's Cape D'Aguilar at 0754 on 4-6, with a strong "DZWT" ID at 9 seconds; because of the overwhelming strength of CNR1, this was only received at Cape D'Aguilar  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/kt8r8aeoobpkcshgsb88sqnwuyipddi2

540  Yan Kraw   Bangkok, Thailand   5 kW   Thai female speech building up strength against CNR1 at 1310 on 4-7 (thanks to Jari Savolainen for language identification)  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/rvp67o0ezkjvuxzrgrodkwo3s6sxytv0

549  CNR5   Fujian, China   1200 kW   Daytime DX signal with female speech in Chinese dialect into HK's Cape D'Aguilar at 0803 on 4-6; the weak co-channel was identified by Alan Davies as VOV-2 from My Hao, and as such was the only Vietnamese daytime DX station received in Hong Kong  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/eqcne7yrac1ovms9hrlphomnt7jb78hd

549  VOV-2   My Hao, Vietnam   200 kW   Vietnamese opera and male Viet speech at overwhelming level on the Hong Kong waterfront at 1313 on 4-7; this station was the only Vietnam daytimer showing up at Hong Kong's Cape D'Aguilar. The weak co-channel at 1:08 was possibly the 1200 kW CNR5, also a daytimer at the Cape .Thanks to Jari Savolainen for Viet language identification   https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/9b46fabrtb3ri8rwrzja5pl2nfaobrb9

567  RTHK-3   Golden Hill, Hong Kong   20 kW   English format local station at overwhelming strength with 6-pip TOH routine at 0600 on 4-3 during a daytime DX trip to Macau (50 miles west of HK)  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/sa65kixhe4fi7ejutkhd145x5znyma9v    

The normally English local station was broadcasting a Nepali program at 1317 on 4-7, causing serious confusion during sunset skip DXing on the Hong Kong waterfront. Thanks to C.K. Raman, Jari Savolainen and Ken Alexander for sorting out the language and station identity of RTHK-3 in Nepali   https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/v429uic14cwinjce8op1slh9wn7up3em

567  UnID   From 25 seconds to 45 seconds in the above recording attempts were made to null out RTHK, resulting in a co-channel with a male voice, possibly from the 200 kW Lao station (although 567-LNR is not parallel with 585-LNR, so there was no way to be sure)  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/v429uic14cwinjce8op1slh9wn7up3em.

585  Lao National Radio   Savannakhet, Laos   20 kW   Distinctive female vocal music and Southeast Asian dialect received during sunset skip on the HK waterfront at 1329 on 4-7 was identified by the wife of Thailand's Ken Alexander (a native speaker) as being "Phu Thai," spoken only in the central border region of Laos and Thailand (where this LNR regional station is located), and not in the north and south parts of Thailand (where the two Thai stations on 585 are located). The distinctive multi-toned instrument in the music was also heard on 705 kHz in another recording, but 702-China was too strong to receive any other details at the time  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/yp6kjfbzb7b4510ln0b7657imo98p3ce

585  Southeast BC   Fuzhou, China   200 kW   Daytime DX signal into HK's Cape D'Aguilar at good strength at 0805 on 4-6; this Taiwan-directed station often features a female speaker with a soothing voice  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/iqi3nczbk8jucyljf87d1hvbr19vdlqo

Female Chinese speech mixing with LNR's music at 1321 on 4-7, most likely from China Southeast BC in Fuzhou (a daytimer at HK's Cape D'Aguilar)  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/a3is6xznwxg1o3elviga7hi8tmudea7y

585  UnID-Chinese   Two overlapping Chinese TOH routines received at good strength at 1700 on 4-6; according to PAL Southeast BC in Fuzhou signs off at 1650, so these two stations are a mystery-- any ID help?  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/w6p8dmhtge9yh1wl82mjn5ozo10myrsu

594  Fu Hsing BS  (multiple Taiwan stations)   Female Chinese speech at overwhelming level during daytime DX at HK's Cape D'Aguilar at 0807 on 4-6; the weak co-channel is possibly DZBB in Quezon City  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/9dmzar3h2typo4m8ifuf41xygagnyx6u

The dominant station at the beginning of this Hong Kong waterfront recording at 1336 on 4-7 (over VoV's male monotone) was tough to figure out, but it's most likely a Chinese dialect from this Taiwan broadcaster, a daytimer at HK's Cape D'Aguilar-- especially considering that Babul Gupta says that this is not Burmese from Radio Myanma. There is also a music station in the three station mix, which could be the UnID Filipino station also showing up as a daytimer at HK's Cape D'Aguilar  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/epl64nxiw7fly2xyp7rwzgi9dtekhbjm

594  VOV-1   Danang, Vietnam   50 kW   Opera and male Viet speech at overwhelming level at 1339 on 4-7; thanks to Mauno for language identification  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/d3s6l2ty9s69niien33tjvgmio75lbnh

594  UnID-Philippines   Daytime DX co-channel under Taiwan's Fu Hsing BS at HK's Cape D'Aguilar at 0807 on 4-6; although no identity clues seem apparent, DZBB in Quezon City would follow the Filipino reception pattern at the Cape  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/9dmzar3h2typo4m8ifuf41xygagnyx6u

(TO BE CONTINUED)