Andrea Lawendel and Renato Bruni in Oulu, January 2005

Stormy space weather (more than stormy ground weather during flight transfers in Helsinki) didn't assist in making one of the few Italian Dxpeditions to the far European north a lifetime dream come true. A number of nice receptions in our log still demonstrate that conditions are radically different with respect to our best locations in Italy. As a feasibility study, however, our mission to Oulu - a high-tech university town in Finland, not too distant from the Arctic Circle - was a complete success, one which will encourage us to be back, perhaps very soon.

In a sense, escaping local bad DX factors to try one's luck at Northern latitudes, could be considered as cheating. In our view, experimenting such a huge gap in listening conditions can really be challenging and in front of increasing electrical noises in the mediumwave band and of the potential ill effects of crazy DRM experimentations being put in place all over Europe, we wanted to give this a try before it could be too late. In spite of a theoretical solar minimum, we have unfortunately choosen to leave in the wake of last mid-January massive coronal activity, with heavy proton storms at ground level. And mind you, protons can really be noisy at 65 degrees North, wiping out almost every useful signals at low frequencies. For us, it took at least two days for the storm to subside.

First hints at Oulu as our Dxpedition site came during a business trip one of us took last year and was later confirmed by a suggestion from well known Swedish Dxer Henrik Klemetz. Henrik mentioned one his contacts, Jari Ruohomaaki, an active Dxer and a regular member of the Lemmenjoki crews, owns a well equipped cottage in the outskirts of Muhos, a small town 35 km SW from Oulu. Jari confirmed us his property was available for rent. The cottage includes four communication receivers and seven very long Beverage antennas pointing to bearings covering areas from the Southern point of Latin American up to the Great Lakes area of the Us. Future plans for this location include mounting up one or two more Beverage toward Asia/Pacific and possibly Alaska (a US State Jari is not particularly keen about, having logged all Alaskan MW in Lemmenjoki). Temporary antennas can be erected, but that's a feat which snow on the ground can make a bit hard. The cottage can conveniently accommodate two to four persons and is very well equipped and comfortable even if one doesn't take radio interest in consideration.

What's furthermore attractive about Oulu/Muhos is the fact one can reach Oulu in less than six flight hours from Milan, via Helsinki/Finnair (other routes to Oulu include Stockholm by Sas/Blue1 or Tampere via Ryanair). Blizzards in South Finland somewhat delayed our arrival. Jari has been so kind to pick us up at the airport, but car rental is possibile, albeit a bit expensive, and Muhos can be reached in less than 45 minutes from the regional capital town. Jari's cottage lays at approximately 10 km from Muhos, in a sparsely populated forest. Beverages can be mounted from 230 to perhaps 090 degrees, but backlobe effect helps in pointing to directions where a downhill slope around the house would make it difficult to put wires up. Temperature in January was quite stable around -8 to -10 Cº, down to -15 when we left. Jari tells us it can well go down to -25. The Sun rises around 10 local time and sets around 15.30, but light hours decrease sensibly in December.

And now to our impressions DX-wise. In spite of potentially good K index values toward the end of our weekly stay (21-28 January 2005), we weren't able to experience any exceptional opening toward North American, Michigan being one of the furtherst catches. The same holds true for La Plata and Chile openings when K values and Polar absorption were high: we had only a very short opening toward Peru. One the highlight of our continous listening sessions has been the Asiatic log, with many of the most powerful stations from Japan to Pakistan. That's something a Southern European Dxer can surely appreciate, since co-channel listening is almost but impossible South of the Alps. When darkness is at its deepest you can dx in Oulu from South West to North North East directions from 22 utc to 12, but one cannot rule completely out the afternoon and early evening for Far East and Africa. The extreme North of Lemmenjoki can offer more opportunities for sure, Jari says, but he's convinced he will be able to go for Marshall Islands in Oulu too and will set for that next autumn.

Beverages (232° [850m], 245° [650m], 258° [850m], 271° [1100m], 282° [1050m], 293° [950m], 305° [950m]); Receivers: 4xJRC-525, Palstar R-30.

21-22 gennaio. (Alvestad Report). Few weak signals on an almost dead MW band. I mean, few *european* signals.
22-23 gennaio. (Alvestad Report). The following night the propagation was better, at least during the LA sunset. Fair signals from Southern Brazil (Cumbica-1500 e Continental AM-1520) and Uruguay. Not a single NA signal at local dawn.
23-24 gennaio. (Alvestad Report). Huge opening towards the Indian Subcontinent in the afternoon. We don't konw if such event is usual during poor conditions, but both the number of stations logged and their signals were quite impressive. No TA signals at night. Highlight: Pakistan on 1340.94 kHz.
24-25 gennaio. (Alvestad Report). Weak asian openig in the afternoon, few NA in the morning and stong signal from Thunder-1530.
25-26 gennaio. (Alvestad Report). Caribe and Centroamerica during the night.
26-27 gennaio. (Alvestad Report). Fair opening towards the Great Lakes Area, but actually with weak signals. Early at night, Portorico and few signals from Peru.
27-28 gennaio (Alvestad Report). Weak signals, without a clear propagative pattern: Afghanistan in the evening, then some feeble brazilians and scattered signals from Colombia.

Log

EUROPA
1116 26.01 1630- KTO Kanal, Mosca, Russia Clip
1512 26.01 1540- R. Yunost, Ibresi, Russia
1530 25.01 0550- AFN Keflavik, Islanda "Thunder 15-30" Clip

UK

774 25.01 1400- BBC Radio Kent, Littlebourne, UK Clip
792 23.01 1820- BBC Radio Foyle, Londonderry, Northern Ireland, UK In // 1341 kHz
945 24.01 2200- Classic Gold, Derby, UK
990 23.01 1810- BBC Scotland, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK // 810
1035 23.01 2100- Northsounds Two, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK Clip
1107 23.01 2055- Moray Firth Radio, Inverness, Scotland, UK Clip
1161 23.01 2045- Magic 1161, Goxhill, UK Clip
1332 23.01 2010- Classic Gold, Peterborough, UK
1413 23.01 2230- Premier Christian Radio, UK Clip
1431 22.01 2230- Classic Gold Breeze, Southend, UK
1503 28.01 0240- BBC Radio Stoke, Stoke on Trent, UK (relay BBC 5)
1548 23.01 2245- Forth AM, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK Clip

ASIA
702 27.01 1700- AIR Jalandhar, Punjab, India. In // 4860 kHz
738 24.01 1533- Yuye Guangbo Diantai, Baisha, Taiwan Clip
738 23.01 1540- AIR Hyderabad, Andra Pradesh, India. In // 1566 kHz
774 27.01 1710- AIR Shimla, India
774 25.01 1513- Hubei RGD, Hunan, Cina
846 23.01 0120- AIR Ahmedabad, India Clip
882 25.01 1525- TWR Puttalam, Sri Lanka
882 23.01 1540- AIR Imphal, Manipur, India. In // 10330 e 4775 kHz
900 26.01 0310- AIR Cuddapah, Andra Pradesh, India
918 23.01 1540- AIR Suratgarth, Rajahstan, India. In // 936 kHz
936 23.01 1545- AIR Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, India. In // 918 kHz
945 23.01 1540- AIR Sambalpur, Orissa, India
972 23.01 1550- AIR Cuttak, Orissa, India. The clip provides just an idea of the signal strengh
981 24.01 1545- CNR1, Cina
1098 24.01 1640- WYFR Family Radio, Taiwan
1116 25.01 1620- AIR Srinagar, India.
1134 26.01 1630- Cina In // 1593 kHz
1134 25.01 2240- Xinjiang, Cina
1169 23.01 2045- IRIB 1, Iran. In // 1503.
1242 23.01 1540- AIR Varanasi, India. In // 1305 kHz
1242 24.01 1553- Voice of Vietnam, Hanoi, Vietnam. Nx ee from 1630-
1296 25.01 1415- VOA Kabul, Afghanistan Clip
1305 23.01 2010- AIR Parbhani, India. In // 1566 kHz
1340.94 23.01 1615- R. Pakistan, Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan. Clip
1359 23.01 1600- AIR Shimla, India. In // 3223 kHz
1368 23.01 1605- AIR Delhi, India. In // 10330 kHz
1377 26.01 2105- Tibet. In // 4820 kHz.
1386 25.01 1545- Tianjin Life Channel, Cina Clip
1395 25.01 1500- Ahnui Life Radio, Cina Clip
1395 23.01 1550- AIR Bikaner, Rajahstan, India
1404 25.01 2230- Hubei RGD, Cina
1413 24.01 1600- JOIF Fukuoka, Giappone "KBC Funky Radio". Clip
1431 23.01 1715 Xinjiang PBS, Cina. In // 4980 kHz.
1467 26.01 1555- AIR Jeyepore, India
1503 26.01 1525 WYFR, Family Radio, Taiwan
1530 23.01 1540- AIR Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. In // 1566 kHz.
1530 26.01 1530- Zheijang, Voice of the City, Cina Clip
1557 23.01 1440- WYFR Family Radio, Taiwan
1575 daily 1600- R. Asia via UAE Radio, Dubai. Moved to 1557 kHz few weeks ago.
1575 daily 0015- VOA Thailand. Clip
1602 27.01 1600- R. Khost, Afghanistan. Clip

NORTHAMERICA
570.06 25.01 0450- KNR, Nuuk, Groenlandia. In // 243 e 650 kHz
710 25.01 0503 CKVO, Clarenville, NL, Canada. VOCM relay
800 27.01 0530- CKLW, Windsor, ON, Canada Clip
860 27.01 0540- CJBC, Toronto, ON, Canada. In ff.
1000 27.01 0513- pres. WMVP, Chicago, IL, USA
1010 27.01 0510- CFRB, Toronto, ON, Canada Clip
1020 27.01 0505- KDKA, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
1050 27.01 0505- CHUM, Toronto, ON, Canada
1100 27.01 0650- WTAM, Clevenald, OH, USA
1130 27.01 0535- WBBR, New York, NY, USA
1140 24.01 0505- CBI, Sidney, NS, Canada. In // 1070 kHz
1150 25.01 0640- pres. CJRC, Ottawa, ON, Canada. In ff.
1200 27.01 0520- CFGO, Ottawa, ON, Canada
1210 28.01 0030- VOAR, Mount Pearl, NL, Canada
1250 27.01 0545- WEAE, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
1270 27.01 0545- CJCB, Sidney, NS, Canada
1300 27.01 0555- WOOD, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
1370 25.01 0630- pres. WDEA, Ellsworth, ME, USA. mx easy listening non stop.
1430 27.01 0640- WENE, Endicott, NY, USA. "Fox Sports Radio"
1460 25.01 0605- WDDY, Albany, NY, USA. Relay Radio Disney
1510 26.01 0510- WLAC, Nashville, TN, USA Clip
1540 25.01 0540- WDCD, Albany, NY, USA Clip
1560 25.01 0530- WQEW, New York, NY, USA
1570 25.01 0650- CFAV, Laval, QC, Canada
1590 27.01 0655- WAKR, Akron, OH, USA
1600 25.01 0620- pres. WUNR, Brookline, MA, USA
1680 27.01 0020- WLAA, Winter Garden, FL, USA "la 16-80" Clip
1700 27.01 0620- KVNS, Brownsville, TX

CENTRAL AMERICA
1430 27.01 0430- WNEL Notiuno, Caguas, Portorico Clip
1540 27.01 0350- ZNS1, Nassau, Bahamas
1570 26.01 0515- La Poderosa 15-60, Messico. Dominante sul canale Clip
1570 26.01 0505- pres. Radio Cadena Nacional de Noticias RCN, Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Broadcasting a live interview with a deputy of the National Paty (partido Nacional) Clip
1570 27.01 0330- R. Amanecer Int, Santo Domingo, Rep. Dominicana Clip
1600 27.01 0200- WLUZ, Bayamon, Portorico "La Romantica 1600" Clip
1640 27.01 0315- R. Juventus Don Bosco, Santo Domingo, Rep. Dominicana

SOUTHAMERICA
930 23.01 0230- CX20 R. Montecarlo, Montevideo, Uruguay
930 24.01 0010- ZYH646 R. Metropolitana, Fortaleza, Brasile
1250 27.01 0005- pres. OAX4L R. Miraflores, Lima, Peru Clip
1380.03 26.01 0435 HJEE, RCN, Tunja, Colombia Clip
1390 28.01 0417- YVZA R. Fe y Alegria, Caracas, Venezuela
1400 28.01 0500- HJKM Emisora Mariana Radio Multicultural, Bogota, Colombia. Clip
1409.98 27.01 2340- ZYK691 R.America, Sao Paulo, SP, Brasile
1420 26.01 0635 YVNZ R. Marabina, Maracaibo, Venezuela Clip
1429.9 26.01 0630- YVNB R. Satelite, Guacara, Venezuela Clip
1470 22.01 2340- CX147 R. Cristal, Montevideo, Uruguay Clip
1470 27.01 2330- ZY.... R. Papacaça, Bom Conselho, Brasile Clip
1470 26.01 2340- OAX4B CPN, Lima, Peru
1470 22.01 2345- ZYJ616 R. AM de Parelhas, "A radio da familia seridoense".
1480 27.01 0000- ZYI825 R. Cancao Nova, Gravatà, SP, Brasile. In // 9675 kHz
1490 26.01 0615- YVXD Dinamica 14-90, Caracas, Venezuela Clip
1499.05v 26.01 0550- OBX4I R. Santa Rosa, Lima, Peru. Rosario
1500 23.01 0100- ZYK773 R. Cumbica AM, Guarulhos, SP, Brasile Clip
1520 23.01 0037- ZYJ491 R. Continental AM, Rio de Janeiro, Brasile Clip
1559.98 26.01 0615- HJXZ R. Santa Maria de la Paz, Medellin, Colombia Clip
1570 27.01 2300- ZYH496 R. Educadora, Jaguaquara, Brasile Clip
1590 23.01 0145- CX159 R. Real, Colonia, Uruguay Clip

Shortwaves
3235 27.01 2220- R. Guaruja Paulista // 5044.98 kHz
3325 27.01 2230- R Nossa Voz/Mundial, Sao Paulo, BRA. Not // 4975 kHz
4775 27.01 2210- R. Congonhas, BRA Clip
4975.02 often 2200- R Mundial, Sao Paulo, BRA
5005 27.01 1650- R. Bata, Guinea Ecuatoriale.
5066.49 22.01 1550- R. Candip, Bunia, Congo. In ff until 16.00.