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

21-22 January. (Alvestad Report). Few weak signals on an almost dead MW band. I mean, few *european* signals.
22-23 January. (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 January. (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 January. (Alvestad Report). Weak asian openig in the afternoon, few NA in the morning and stong signal from Thunder-1530.
25-26 January. (Alvestad Report). Caribe and Centroamerica during the night.
26-27 January. (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 January (Alvestad Report). Weak signals, without a clear propagative pattern: Afghanistan in the evening, then some feeble brazilians and scattered signals from Colombia.

Europe

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

United Kingdom
 

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 Suratgarh, 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	Sample
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-	Anhui 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 Jeypore, 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 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

North America

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

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

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