The Mother Lode

[CADXER]

Great topic.

My biggest highlite on MW here in the Chicago area has to be the great trans-Atlantic opening at the end of December in 1997. I was able to tune in only on December 27, 1997 even though the opening lasted for few days. Several European/African stations were logged by me on that day. I was able to hear and ID the following stations:

531 - Chaine 1, Algeria
567 - Tullamore, Ireland
576 - Canary Islands
585 - Madrid, Spain
1134 - Zadar, Croatia
1215 - Virgin Radio, England
1314 - Kvitsoy, Norway

I had audio on few other frequencies (594, 648, 864, 891, 1593), but never got a definitive ID.

On shortwave the biggest catch is FIBS (Falkland Islands Broadcasting Service) on the frequency of 3,958 kHz with 3.5 kW. I was trying to log the station for a long time without any success. However on March 12, 1983 I got a tip (phone call, no internet then) from a fellow CADXer that he was hearing Falklands at his location in Arlington Heights, IL. I immediately fired up the receiver and was able to hear them as well. As it turned out several other CADXers were able to snatch the very elusive station on that day as well. No such luck with Tristan da Cunha.

 

[radioman148]

Great topic.

My biggest highlite on MW here in the Chicago area has to be the great trans-Atlantic opening at the end of December in 1997. I was able to tune in only on December 27, 1997 even though the opening lasted for few days. Several European/African stations were logged by me on that day. I was able to hear and ID the following stations:

531 - Chaine 1, Algeria
567 - Tullamore, Ireland
576 - Canary Islands
585 - Madrid, Spain
1134 - Zadar, Croatia
1215 - Virgin Radio, England
1314 - Kvitsoy, Norway

I had audio on few other frequencies (594, 648, 864, 891, 1593), but never got a definitive ID.

On shortwave the biggest catch is FIBS (Falkland Islands Broadcasting Service) on the frequency of 3,958 kHz with 3.5 kW. I was trying to log the station for a long time without any success. However on March 12, 1983 I got a tip (phone call, no internet then) from a fellow CADXer that he was hearing Falklands at his location in Arlington Heights, IL. I immediately fired up the receiver and was able to hear them as well. As it turned out several other CADXers were able to snatch the very elusive station on that day as well. No such luck with Tristan da Cunha.

Nice going. The only one of those that I ever received was the 1134 from Croatia. I don't know how much power they were running, but I heard them several times.

 

[davideduardo]

Nice going. The only one of those that I ever received was the 1134 from Croatia. I don't know how much power they were running, but I heard them several times.

I got a verification from that one around 1961 when it was in Zagreb, Yugoslavia and on 1133. They stated 135 kw as the power; that seems right as the Czech built transmitters widely used in the satellite nations came in that exact power output.

 

[radioman148]

I got a verification from that one around 1961 when it was in Zagreb, Yugoslavia and on 1133. They stated 135 kw as the power; that seems right as the Czech built transmitters widely used in the satellite nations came in that exact power output.

They must have had good power because I didn't need any kind of special antenna to hear them. Just my CC Radio aimed in the right direction was good enough.

 

[CADXER]

At the time of reception they were running 600 kW from their transmitter in Zadar, Croatia. Not sure when they dropped to that power level, but they were running 1200 kW prior to that according to WRTH. They closed down the station in December of 2013.

 

[radioman148]

At the time of reception they were running 600 kW from their transmitter in Zadar, Croatia. Not sure when they dropped to that power level, but they were running 1200 kW prior to that according to WRTH. They closed down the station in December of 2013.

At the time I received them it was 2011-2012.

 

[Ai4i]

France Inter when it was on 164 KHz in the 1970's.
My receiver included a good noise blanker/suppressor.

 

[boombox4]

My most exciting catch was KFI in New Jersey in the winter of 1977-78.

After spending the previous summer in northern California where KFI was like a local at night, I spent months listening and listening to 640 every night to hear something but all I ever got was the station from Akron, Ohio.

Then one night I heard the song I Go Crazy by Paul Davis and right as it was ending I heard "64 KFI".

It was gone within a minute or two and I didn't hear it again there.

That same catch would be impossible now with the local on 640.


Certainly not my greatest catch in terms of distance, as AM stations from a lot farther than that are nighttime regulars in Hawaii but there's something rewarding about wanting to hear something for so long and then finally hearing it.

Didn't you catch a Chicago or NYC station from Hawaii on your PR-D5 just using the internal loop antenna? I would say that is a pretty good catch. Even better than KFI from NJ.

Understand your feelings about that rare KFI catch, though....

 

[radioman148]

Didn't you catch a Chicago or NYC station from Hawaii on your PR-D5 just using the internal loop antenna? I would say that is a pretty good catch. Even better than KFI from NJ.

Understand your feelings about that rare KFI catch, though....

I can't speak for Gar, but I caught WLS and WBBM in Hawaii on a Panasonic radio with an internal loop in 1978. The advantage I had was that those frequencies were still clear channels at that time. To hear those stations now in Hawaii you'd need a much more elaborate antenna and some good luck with all the stations that are on now.
It can still be done on one of the Hawaii SDRs if you have patience.

 

[MarioMania]

No Love for my Japan Catch on AM

 

[radioman148]

No Love for my Japan Catch on AM

Excellent catch Mario. I heard Japan when I was in Hawaii, but catching it California is much better.