2015 ST-PATRICK’S DAY  SOLAR STORM AUDIO FILES

Receiver: Perseus

Antenna in service: Plain 105m / 350ft short Beverage NE-SW (no phasing involved)

Additional software: StationList + MWLIST Database

Misc: WRTH 2015

540 KHz

ECUADOR, HCFA2 Radio Santiago, Guayaquil. What a great surprise to hear that one in the clear! At sec 20 “...en Radio Santiago 540 Guayaquil, se inicia espacio publicitario” (03-18 04:29 UT).

NICARAGUA, YNOW Radio Corporación, Managua with early morning talk and at sec 10 “...sintonízelo a la misma hora de hoy, solo por la Corporación” (-136 Hz) (03-18 10:27 UT).

570 KHz

CUBA, CMBD Radio Reloj, Santa Clara with great signal and alone (03-19 09:31).

590 KHz

MEXICO, XEPH Sabrosita 590, México DF, with at sec 10 “...Sabrosita 590” (03-18 10:30 UT).

600 KHz

COLOMBIA, HJHJ Radio Libertad, Baranquilla with a Libertad newspaper ad that worth listening just to hear how surrealistic it pops up so suddenly over an unID domestic (03-19 09:01 UT).

630 KHz

HONDURAS, HRLP7 Radio América, La Ceiba with a great signal and apparently airing a paid program mentioning address and phone number for Tegucigalpa. Parallel to a weaker 610 (03-18 10:28 UT).

VENEZUELA, YVKA Radio Nacional de Venezuela, Caracas. I don’t recall having heard that station before. BTW, the more stations I listen from Venezuela, the more I feel that they begin to look like their Cuban counterpart! (03-18 09:29 UT).

640 KHz

COLOMBIA, HJBJ RCN, Santa Marta “...RCN, noticias de la madrugada”  mixing with Cuba here (03-18 08:59 UT).

660 KHz

VENEZUELA, YVNA Ondas de los Medanos, Coro with at sec 18 “... Onda de los Medanos, su Radio Popular ... 660, la AM de los recuerdos”  over an extinguished WFAN (03-18 00:22 UTC).

670 Khz

VENEZUELA, YVLL Radio Rumbos, Caracas “...Radio Rumbos  670 AM, la AM que tu quieres escuchar” excellent here (03-18 ?? UT)

680  KHz

COLOMBIA, HJZO Señal Radio Colombia, Sabanagrande “...el instituto Alexander Von Humboldt y Señal Radio Colombia, pura colombiología”  Huge! (03-18 09:00 UT).

700 KHz

ECUADOR, HCRS2 Radio Sucre, Guayaquil with an Ecuadorian pasillo followed at sec 29 by “...programando  la buena música, en Radio Sucre 700 “.  A new log for me! (03-18 05:27 UT).

710 KHz

CUBA, CMBA Radio Rebelde likely from Chambas and exchanging chair with WOR (03-18 08:58 UT).

720 KHz

COLOMBIA, HJAN Emisoras Unidas, Baranquilla. At sec 42 “...Emisoras Unidas , la favorita de todos públicos, de la cadena radial La Libertad, autenticamente costeña” (03-18 00:22 UT).

750 KHz

ECUADOR, HCRC2 Radio Caravana, Guayaquil with both Liga de Quito and Barcelona mentions at sec 21, I knew I was in known territory with Ecuadorian fútbol news and at a rather good level and moreover for a relog! (03-18 05:58 UT).

VENEZUELA, YVKS RCR, Caracas. One of the most constant Latin here (03-18 09:58 UT).

760 KHz

COLOMBIA, HJAJ RCN La Radio, Baranquilla certainly among the steadiest Colombian to be heard here (03-18 00:24 UT).

780 KHz

VENEZUELA, YVMN Radio Coro, Coro. A steady Venezuelan which usually gives tons of IDs between songs (03-18 09:00 UT).

  

790 KHz

VENEZUELA, YVXM Radio Minuto, Barquisimeto “...Radio Minuto, con la música unida a su recuerdo”

(03-18 09:27 UT).

820 KHz

COLOMBIA, HJAD Radio Vigía, Cartagena with at sec 44 “...Buenos días Cartagena, escucha Radio Vigía”. As the offset was at +193 Hz, my first thought was a Peruvian who’s sitting around there but at the end, it was “just” R.Vigía, which is a new log for me BTW (03-19 10:27 UT).

840 KHz

CUBA, CMHW Doblevé, Santa Clara with “...Esta es Doblevé, desde Santa Clara en el centro de Cuba” (03-18 09:00 UT).

850 KHz

COLOMBIA, HJKC Candela 850 AM, Bogotá with the ID at sec 28 “...Can-de-la, 850 AM” (03-18 00:25 UT).

860 KHz

MEXICO, XENL Radio Recuerdo, Monterrey popping up over CJBC and producing a quite interesting mix. From sec 26 “... Radio Recuerdo... está usted escuchando XENL transmitiendo en los 860 Khz en amplitud modulada con 5000 watts de potencia desde Monterrey” (03-19 08:59 UT).

870 Khz

ECUADOR, HCNY2 Radio Cristal, Guayaquil. A pleasant relog of a known station at home since my wife listen  to them regularly on our Wi-Fi kitchen radio. I personally like this radio station because it remains a rare example of how radio should serve its community and Radio Cristal is doing that very well from live amateur music contest to daily rosary recitations just to name a few examples.  In this following clip, there is at sec 6 “... cero horas con treinta minutos en Radio Cristal de Guayaquil”  (03-18 05:30 UT).

VENEZUELA, YVMP Unión Radio, Barquesimeto with the “...Unión Radio” ID at sec 25, right after the listing of cities of their affiliates (03-18 09:27 UT).

890 KHz

COLOMBIA, HJPM Radio Galeón, Santa Marta with Caracol Radio feed. Thanks to Fredrik Dourén and Jan Edh at RealDX for sorting out who was airing Caracol on that channel (03-18 09:00 UT).

900 KHz

CUBA, CMKB Radio Progreso, Urbano Noris. A Cuban that frequently reaches here (03-19 09:30 UT).

VENEZUELA, YVMD Mara Ritmo, Maracaibo “...Mara Ritmo novecientos”  with Cuba fading in, towards the end of the clip(03-18 09:30 UT).

910 KHz

VENEZUELA, YVRQ Radio Q 910, Maiquetia “...La música tradicional venezolana está en RQ 910”

(03-18 03:32 UT).

940 KHz

PUERTO RICO, WIPR Máxima 940, San Juan with at sec 7 “...Máxima 9-40, porque somos su voz” (03-19 05:00 UT).

1000 KHz

VENEZUELA, YVNM Caribeña 1000 AM, Morón with massive signal “... Caribeña 1000 AM, la evolución de la radio” (03-18 09:29 UT).

1030 KHz

ARGENTINA, LS10 Radio del Plata, Buenos Aires. Thanks to a Neil Kazaross’s tip who heard the station in Illinois while I was looking to find more from my Ecuadorian on 1030, I could also notice that same Argentinean. It was heard for several minutes on a couple of recordings and that extract was certainly the most rewarding of all! Right from the beginning under WBZ “...desde Buenos Aires, Ciudad del Plata, mil treinta”  then later at sec 12 and in the clear “... Radio Noticias del Plata... La hora seis y un minuto, la temperatura en Buenos Aires 24 grados 4 décimas” (03-18 09:00 UT).

ECUADOR, HCRF2 Radio Ecuantena, Guayaquil. A pleasant surprise to hear that 1 KW station. If you listen carefully (headphones mandatory), you should hear at sec 16  “... Ecuantena, mil treinta AM, mucho más, mucho más” over Ecuadorian nacional dance music (03-19 09:31 UT).

USA, KCTA Your Christian Companion, Corpus Christi TX, dominating WBZ (03-18 10:29 UT).

1060 KHz

MEXICO, XEEP Radio Educación, México DF “... Radio Educación, 1060 AM desde la ciudad de México” (03-19 08:58 UT).

1070 KHz

CUBA, CMAM Radio Guamá, Guane “... Esta es Guamá, la señal sonora de la familia pinaria” (03-18 09:30 UT).

PUERTO RICO, WMIA Radio Arecibo, Arecibo with a “... Radio Arecibo” mention at sec 7 (03-18 00:24 UT).

1100 KHz

COLOMBIA, HJAT Caracol Radio, Baranquilla “... Caracol escucha a Baranquilla, Baranquilla escucha a Caracol” (03-18 09:29 UT).

1120 KHz

PUERTO RICO, WMSW Radio Once, Hatillo simulcasting Radio Isla “... Voz Primera, de lunes a viernes a las seis de la mañana por Radio Isla 1320 o por radioisla1320.com” (03-19 10:00 UT).

1130 KHz

VENEZUELA, YVRL Radio Ideal, Maiquetia with a “...Radio Ideal” mention at sec 9 (03-18 02:31 UT).

1140 KHz

COLOMBIA, HJKO Radio Esperanza, Cartagena with at sec 10 “... Radio Esperanza, 1140 AM” (03-18 09:28 UT).

1170 KHz

COLOMBIA, HJNW Caracol Radio, Cartagena when coming huge (03-18 09:27 UT).

1280 KHz

PUERTO RICO, WCMN NotiUno, Arecibo with at sec 12 “... Ahora comienza el noticiero número uno en Puerto Rico,  NotiUno en la mañana” (03-18 09:01 UT).

1290 KHz

VENEZUELA, YVLF Radio Puerto Cabello, Puerto Cabello. At sec 14 “... Radio Puerto Cabello, tu lugar de sintonía” (03-18 03:00 UT).

1580 KHz

COLOMBIA, HJQT Verdad Radio, Bogotá (5 KW). With the exception of Cuba, other Latin high-banders don’t tend to show up at my place and that’s why I’m pleased to add this new log to my total. Right from the beginning, a full ID is given (03-18 02:01 UT).

1700 KHz

USA, WJCC Radio Mega, Miami Springs FL, with 1 KW and showing good peaks! (03-19 06:00 UT).

For more audio clips related to that same event (much much more actually!), take an audio tour at Mark Connelly’s dedicated page

Since I own my SDR, I have been dreaming for that moment to happen where Latin stations suddenly become abundant, while exchanging places rapidly as it can occur here in North-Eastern America during a major geomagnetic disturbance. As far I can remember, the last time I noticed such intense phenomena was on December 2006, shortly after acquiring my R75. I was recently into full time MWDX dedicating myself almost exclusively to Trans-Atlantic DX and when the storm occurred, I didn’t know at that time what was happening exactly but anyhow, I’ve got quite excited with what I was hearing! The event lasted about three days of which I made a few “one-by-one” audio recordings which some can still be found on my Latin American-Caribbean audio files page.

Nowadays, every SDR owner is aware of the infinite capability of this relatively new technology when exceptional propagation is on the way and I wouldn’t miss such unique opportunity either. That’s why when this geomagnetic storm was announced, I began programming unattended recordings for my Perseus, each with a five minutes duration starting three minutes before every ToH and BoH, on both nights of March 18 an d 19 beginning around Midnight UTC until local dawn.

Now as exciting as it could appear, finding the time to review all those files afterwards while trying to keep some kind of momentum in the excitement is a quite hard challenge, especially with a full time job and the need to give a bit of quality time to my close relatives. For this, I’ll send here a special thanks to my wife who had to deal with my extended absences ;-)

Many of the following MP3 files are labelled with station details, UTC time and date of recording. Please make sure that your player is set to show this information.  Also note that several stations listed bellow may have left the air since (sadly, quite a few of those are from Venezuela).

NOAA graph at the peak of the storm showing markers up to G4!

That said, after quite  a long stay in “reclusion” :) , I finally managed to publish here my logs along with some audio clips of that event. With no surprise, stations from Cuba, Venezuela and Colombia were dominant among the group. Unexpectedly and ranking fourth was Ecuador with a total of five stations heard (with two counting for new logs!) all coming from the city of Guayaquil!

That led me to learn more about the path between Quebec City and Guayaquil. As shown on the left map, it seems that a little more than 80% of the path is over saltwater which certainly helps. As for other countries, a couple of Porto Rican checked-in plus a few goodies like Argentina on 1030 and Honduras on both 610 and 630. My deception if there is one, was the total lack of Brazilian. Zero stations, not even a whistle on either 1100 or 1220!

Please CLICK HERE to see my entire log list and as an additional note, I may have omitted some of the weaker Cuban stations in my logs because at times, they just become too numerous!

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BELLOW IS A LIST OF AUDIO SAMPLES FROM SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THOSE TWO NIGHTS

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Most of the propagation path between my QTH and Guayaquil, EQA spread over saltwater. Map was generated by Great Circle Mapper www.gcmap.com