radioman148 said:
It's possible the antenna Mika was using was a 1000'+ Beverage and a $10,000 receiver like a AOR AR-Alpha B*... all of this for 10 seconds of DX??? In my dreams...
* http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/widerxvr/1036.html
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Lowest power AM Station from the greatest distance away?
- Thread starter stormy01
- Start date
It's possible the antenna Mika was using was a 1000'+ Beverage and a $10,000 receiver like a AOR AR-Alpha B*... all of this for 10 seconds of DX??? In my dreams...
* http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/widerxvr/1036.html
stormy01 said:
I wonder how that receiver compares to the Icom at about the same price?
In East Wakefield, New Hampshire, one Sunday night/Monday morning overnight in summer 1971, I picked up KXLO (1230 kHz, 250 watts-night) Lewistown, Montana. At that time, a good amount of stations shutdown for maintenance from midnight until 5 AM. I actually got an ID in the middle of a "graveyard" frequency. The receiver ? It was nothing but an Admiral AM-only radio. It had probably one of the best AM front ends I ever had. During the daytime hours, I was able to listen to WJTO/730 Bath, ME almost clear as a bell, 150 miles away in Randolph, MA on that receiver. Wish I still had that radio today.
Peter Q. George (K1XRB) said:
Some of those old radios were the best. I had a Philco. Also, Monday mornings were great as the AM band use to really open up. I used to get some hard to hear stuff at that time.
stormy01 said:
That gave me my first opportunity in the 60s to hear KNBR in the Chicago area. WMAQ was off for maintenance and other 680s around the country were silent at that time too.
If you have a Persius SDR linked to a beverage antenna, and you combe it with much of the geography between you and your target being ocean, all things are possible.
That was a catch of a lifetime, but there are all kinds of great (verified) stories of far-away, low power stations received by South African and Scandanavian DXers.
That was a catch of a lifetime, but there are all kinds of great (verified) stories of far-away, low power stations received by South African and Scandanavian DXers.
Icangelp said:
Indeed signals over water help along with being at the right place at the right time.
I read a short book about a guy who spent a winter in the Alaska wilderness about 200 mi NW of Fairbanks. He must have either been a radio nut or enjoyed radio a lot because he had a lot of stuff about radio reception in the book. At times he got a fair amount of stations during the day on AM from Nome, Fairbanks, Kotzebue (and strong) but at times he got NADA. Says he got japan at night once. So we don't talk a lot about how variable AM reception could be so being in the right place at the right time is a major part of the "catch."
vibe said:
I've always wondered about Alaska DX in the winter when there's very little (if any) daylight.
I've read on the Alaska board some comments from DXers who live there.
Sometime conditions can be very good almost all day, but at times when dealing with auroras there nothing.
Hearing Japan is not that unusual.
stormy01 said:
Yeah those far east stations really get out. I heard several of them when I was in Hawaii.
I would think that your odds of picking up Japanese stations in Alaska would be far better in the Aleutians than well inland (up towards Fairbanks). When you get into the interior, not only do you have a much greater distance between you and Japan - and it's pretty far - but also the massive Alaska Range in your way. Out in the Aleutians, on the other hand, you have clear sailing from across the ocean and you're several hundred miles closer to Japan. Perhaps you might even pick up the 50 kw AFRS signal from Tokyo at 810.
On the other hand, I'd think that you should be able to pick something up from Russia in most of western Alaska. Perhaps even some LW signals. I know I picked up a LW signal from Russia at night when I was in Japan and my radio at the time was a cheapie from Radio Shack.
On the other hand, I'd think that you should be able to pick something up from Russia in most of western Alaska. Perhaps even some LW signals. I know I picked up a LW signal from Russia at night when I was in Japan and my radio at the time was a cheapie from Radio Shack.
I once heard that there were no daytime stations in Alaska. Makes sense..."at this time KASK concludes another broadcast day. Please just us again at 6AM on April 22, 2010"...radioman148 said:
You're right Bob. No daytimers (for obvious reasons) and, interestingly enough, no stations at frequencies higher than 1450 are licensed to Alaska. There are a couple of 50000 watters up there (KENI 650 Anch., KFQD 750 Anch., KICY 850 Nome) and KJNP 1170 North Pole is 50 kw days and 21 kw nights. However, more typical are 5 kw to 10 kw stations - and all seem to be non-directional. And a lot of open frequencies too.
AM dxing must be very interesting up there.
The 650 frequency is interesting to me in the north Pacific, as you have a non-directional 50 kw KENI from Anchorage, another non-directional 10 kw station on 650 from Honolulu (KRTR) and a 10/9 kw on 650 in Vancouver, BC (CISL). There would seem to be a lot of interference on that channel, wouldn't you think?
AM dxing must be very interesting up there.
The 650 frequency is interesting to me in the north Pacific, as you have a non-directional 50 kw KENI from Anchorage, another non-directional 10 kw station on 650 from Honolulu (KRTR) and a 10/9 kw on 650 in Vancouver, BC (CISL). There would seem to be a lot of interference on that channel, wouldn't you think?
BRNout said:
Some DXers around Anchorage have picked up Japanese stations. You're right though that the best DX would probably be from the Aleutians.
Am also curious what radio reception overall is like in Alaska, day and night, particularly in the remote areas.
Or even the Arctic.
Do ships receive AM signals and, from where?
Perhaps this could be a new thread.
From the southwest suburbs of Chicago, these four stand out:
520 F9 / NB – Miramichi, New Brunswick 125 watt aero beacon with Morse code (about 1,200 miles)
580 KMJ Fresno, Calif., 5 kW on a quiet Monday morning in the 1970s, my only non-50 kW West Coaster (about 1,740 miles)
730 WLIL Lenoir City, Tenn., 214 watt night power playing Elvis overnight on 12/19/2018, through WGN hash (about 450 miles)
1550 WCSJ Morris, Ill., 6 watt night power on 5/8/2020 (about 40 miles)
520 F9 / NB – Miramichi, New Brunswick 125 watt aero beacon with Morse code (about 1,200 miles)
580 KMJ Fresno, Calif., 5 kW on a quiet Monday morning in the 1970s, my only non-50 kW West Coaster (about 1,740 miles)
730 WLIL Lenoir City, Tenn., 214 watt night power playing Elvis overnight on 12/19/2018, through WGN hash (about 450 miles)
1550 WCSJ Morris, Ill., 6 watt night power on 5/8/2020 (about 40 miles)
Certainly not the 'best' listing here, but perhaps David G will have heard the story from sn NRC item:
WMID 1340 Atlantic City NJ being logged in the state of Washington?
I know they have a big signal, but iIrc they would've been on 250 watts at night. And the dial was a lot clearer. But still, Washington reception isn't exactly all all-waterpath.
@ KR48D : I can only add a recent tip of the earphones update to your WCIN 1480 catch. It was this time of year, 10 years ago, when I was painting a basement. While tuned on a GE SR II to the vacant 1480 out of curiosity -- local WISL had gone dark -- in came that Cincy staion for a good 20 minutes. It had to've been the daytime skywave skip. They were now WDJO, Oldies 1480. Heather Zayre (sp?) did the weather and the ID. I have a tape of it but don't know how to post a sound clip here.
WMID 1340 Atlantic City NJ being logged in the state of Washington?
I know they have a big signal, but iIrc they would've been on 250 watts at night. And the dial was a lot clearer. But still, Washington reception isn't exactly all all-waterpath.
@ KR48D : I can only add a recent tip of the earphones update to your WCIN 1480 catch. It was this time of year, 10 years ago, when I was painting a basement. While tuned on a GE SR II to the vacant 1480 out of curiosity -- local WISL had gone dark -- in came that Cincy staion for a good 20 minutes. It had to've been the daytime skywave skip. They were now WDJO, Oldies 1480. Heather Zayre (sp?) did the weather and the ID. I have a tape of it but don't know how to post a sound clip here.
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