North Korea develops ham station capable of reaching US

Dear Leader makes inaugural transmission of new P5 station

North Korea tested a radio transmitter Friday that appears to have the range to reach major US cities, experts say.

After years of research and experimentation, it appears that North Korea is on the verge of being able to reach North America with high frequency radio signals, sometimes referred to as RF.

A combination of US, South Korean and Japanese analyses of the transmission from Mupyong-ni, near North Korea's border with China, shows that the RF went about 1000 miles. If the RF were of a slightly lower frequency, it would have major US cities such as Los Angeles, Denver and Chicago well within its range, with the possible ability to reach as far as New York and Boston.

"As far as Chicago" is the phrase being used by analysts to describe the amazing coverage that is

Contester P5YL

claimed possible by the Kim Jung Un regime with the new P5 station. This puts DXers in much of the US within the footprint of Pyongyang's capabilities.

Previous tests of NK's desire to radiate RF were of mixed results with the signal often petering out in the Sea of Japan. Because of this, much skepticism exists of NK's latest bluster. Responding to widespread doubt, Kim Jung Un assured foreign news agencies that their new radio station will, at the very least, be able to work hams who live on the island of Guam.

So how long might it take North Korea to clear the remaining hurdles to obtain an HF transmitter with the United States in range? The best guess right now is months, not years.
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