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Signal prediction is based on statistics. When there is only a .0001 percent chance of something happening, it won't happen all the time. The other thing you have to consider is the inverse field. You can build antennas, like Beverage antennas and multibay phased yagis and dish reflectors which can bring an otherwise undetectable signal up to a detectable level. But when you hear things on barefoot stock radios all the time when they are supposedly using extremely low power, it is suspicious. If you understand statistics and apply it to hard science and by extension engineering, you make judgments about whether it is believable.

I have called radio stations and told them that I was receiving their stations and they didn't believe me. But I was using very sophisticated antennas and tuners, and I didn't hear it every day. What used to be DX when FM stations were operating at 1-10 kW from 150-250 foot AM towers, is no longer unusual when the stations went to 50 kW from 500 feet. The more sophisticated your antenna and tuner, the more stations that are regulars heard daily.
 
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Also, keep in mind that Alaska has fewer AM radio stations to hear than say the Midwest where I live, so it's likely easier for distant signals to break through.
When I was in Ecuador in the 60's, nearly every station in the region from Peru to Colombia and Venezuela signed off by midnight. I commonly heard, depending on the conditions, 250 watt Class IV stations from as far as Montana on one antenna, and 100 watt local channel stations from southeastern Brazil on another. It was, as you say, due to lack of congestion in my part of the world, allowing different reception conditions to allow very low power stations to come in well.

In my hometown of Quito around 1965, there were only two AMs on the air after midnight... my own on 570 and 805. So the band was nearly empty for hundreds of miles in any direction, and only sparsely populated for about 1000 miles.

From Cleveland, around 1960, I remember one Monday morning opening that began with Honolulu on 650, 760, 830, 870, 1040, 1270 and a couple of others. The astounding thing is that KORL on 650 with 10 kw was no stronger than KIKI with 250 watts on 830. And KIKI was better than 870 and the rest; 1270 that morning, at 5 kw, was actually better than all the rest.
 
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New one for me this morning on my car radio. KXRB 1140, 10kw from Sioux Falls, SD. A little after 8am CST (1400 GMT). About an hour after local sunrise. Country music morning show with positive ID. Comfortably on top with a good signal and minimal fading for about fifteen minutes. I assume KXRB was on 10kw non-directional day pattern. Distance: 438 miles,

I actually did hear the Sioux Falls 1140 once or twice as KSOO, but that was back in the 1960s. The current 5kw night pattern throws a major null in my direction to protect WRVA. I'm guessing the pattern was similar to if not exactly like what it was back in the 60s with WRVA as the 800 pound gorilla on the channel.
 
The Daytime Only stations are pretty obvious. They either have a technical problem, or a personnel problem, and should be made aware.
Or, they don't care.
 
I tried for 1110 tonight in Carmichael, CA

Nulling out KLIB, I heard KRDC & KBND, I couldn't get them in Citrus Heights, I was close to KLIB
 
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Some interesting DX at 0630--0710 UTC Saturday morning (couldn't sleep). The Arctic receiver was dead as usual to North America except KBRW. Iceland heard WGN underneath something stronger from Europe. Key West heard WGN, WBBM very well. Also WMVP underneath Cuba. WABC, WCBS, WFED, WLW all fairly strong in Key West. On the Oahu, Hawaii receiver WBBM was overtaking KKOH several times. Usually it's KNOM battling KKOH on the Hawaii rig, but not this time.
 
I was doing some sunset DX on an SDR in Woodstock, GA (north of Atlanta) the other day. I got 2 of my Knoxville area semi-locals, WXRH-580, Rockwood TN and WDEH-800, Sweetwater TN. As much of a pest that WAOS-1600 Austell GA is in many other places, it was barely there in Woodstock, and being overtaken by WTZQ, Hendersonville NC. After sunset, WAOK-1380 was missing.
 
While checking out 540 this past Sunday night, I caught CBK for the first time ever. My radio and antenna, a Digitech AR1780 and Terk Advantage loop, were aimed NW, and shortly after 10 p.m. CT I started getting a weak intermittent signal mixing with XEHS. I heard a classical piece, "Indian Queen," followed by an operatic piece, "Voi Lo Sapete," and they appeared to match CBK's stream. The signal was gone after a few minutes.

A check of the CBC music playlist a few days later confirmed what I'd heard. CBK is 1,567 miles from me.
 
While checking out 540 this past Sunday night, I caught CBK for the first time ever. My radio and antenna, a Digitech AR1780 and Terk Advantage loop, were aimed NW, and shortly after 10 p.m. CT I started getting a weak intermittent signal mixing with XEHS. I heard a classical piece, "Indian Queen," followed by an operatic piece, "Voi Lo Sapete," and they appeared to match CBK's stream. The signal was gone after a few minutes.

A check of the CBC music playlist a few days later confirmed what I'd heard. CBK is 1,567 miles from me.
Very nice--good catch in San Antonio!
 
A check of the CBC music playlist a few days later confirmed what I'd heard. CBK is 1,567 miles from me.
Nice going, Jim. I've never heard even a whiff of CBK on my visits to Texas....including San Antonio, Usually for me, it's been all XEWA,
 
Had a nice reception of WIDS on 570 last night around 8:45 PM CST with gospel music and "5-70 Southern Kentucky Gospel WIDS Russel Springs Jamestown" ID at TOH. Not a common log at my location.
 
Yes I have. First time I heard them was way back in 1982 and have heard couple of times since.
 
Can anyone give me a complete rundown on the call letter changes 570, 1450, and 1560? There's an era missing between the History Cards and the more recent records. Have all three had the call letters WDXR? I always wondered if the call letters being on 1560 first, referred to the DX you could hear after WQXR signed off at 12:07 AM most Nights, and KPMC wasn't a big problem.
 
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Good catch! Have you ever logged WKYX in Paducah, Ky? They are 1 kW directional to the north on their day pattern. I have yet to log this station in Overland Park, KS.
WKYX is an occasional nighttime visitor at my location, which is about 30 miles northwest of CADXER. When it's in, the signal is usually weak, but 570 is relatively open around here.

Also, as radioman alluded to, WDXR when it was on 1560 was an easy nighttime catch in the Chicago area. Even when it was only 1kw (aimed north). Then when they went to 5kw at night they were sometimes as strong here as a number of the 50kw non-directional "clears".
 
WKYX is an occasional nighttime visitor at my location, which is about 30 miles northwest of CADXER. When it's in, the signal is usually weak, but 570 is relatively open around here.

Also, as radioman alluded to, WDXR when it was on 1560 was an easy nighttime catch in the Chicago area. Even when it was only 1kw (aimed north). Then when they went to 5kw at night they were sometimes as strong here as a number of the 50kw non-directional "clears".
When I first logged WDXR on 1560 I was actually trying to hear WQXR which was also on that frequency. A bit confusing for this young Dxer in the early 1960s.
 
Thanks to a format change (alas, entire staff was canned) and tip at the BCBDX message board, caught 50 kw CKST 1040 Vancouver at 1:11 a.m. CT Wednesday, under WHO. Matched to SDR near Vancouver.

Switch was from sports talk to rock on interim basis, all-comedy expected Friday.

My second Vancouver station heard in SW suburbs of Chicago.
 
Thanks to a format change (alas, entire staff was canned) and tip at the BCBDX message board, caught 50 kw CKST 1040 Vancouver at 1:11 a.m. CT Wednesday, under WHO. Matched to SDR near Vancouver.

Switch was from sports talk to rock on interim basis, all-comedy expected Friday.

My second Vancouver station heard in SW suburbs of Chicago.
Great catch!
 


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