Skywave on Cold Weather Mornings

[SomeRadioGuy]

Are you saying that you can get Hawaii stations?

What about California?

Yup... 1570, 1420, 1270 are the most regulars form HI here in AK

California stations here in AK is eazy peazy.

KEJB 1480 is one of the regulars, and quite well sometimes.

KNX fights with CFAX from near Vancouver BC.. no KFI because of a semi local on 640 with 10kw from 175 miles away

etc etc.. lots more

 

[MarioMania]

I'm just wondering about something

In the Winter Times when it's dark the most in Alaska

Is there Skywave all day, I don't think no one aked that

 

[gr8oldies]

I'm just wondering about something

In the Winter Times when it's dark the most in Alaska

Is there Skywave all day, I don't think no one aked that

Based on an SDR that used to be in Norway (I think) yes. There was skywave to wherever areas of the world that were also dark/

 

[davideduardo]

Based on an SDR that used to be in Norway (I think) yes. There was skywave to wherever areas of the world that were also dark/

There is usually a zone outside of the darkness area where a transmitted signal hits the dark zone based on the angle and distance the signal travels to reach that zone.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

I'm just wondering about something

In the Winter Times when it's dark the most in Alaska

Is there Skywave all day, I don't think no one aked that

Based on an SDR that used to be in Norway (I think) yes. There was skywave to wherever areas of the world that were also dark/

No, daytime am skywabve is non existant here..... iy dies off pretty quickly.

and its not dark all day outside of the northern most place, the town formerly known as Barrow

 

[MarioMania]

I saw on timeanddate site, only 5 hours of Daylight where Paul is in November

I like the Summertime, Longer Days

 

[davideduardo]

I saw on timeanddate site, only 5 hours of Daylight where Paul is in November

I like the Summertime, Longer Days

I loved Quito for the opposite reason... sunrise and sunset only vary by a few minutes throughout the year.

Quito is a couple of minutes drive south of the Equator and the town right on the equator is now sort of a Quito suburb.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

I loved Quito for the opposite reason... sunrise and sunset only vary by a few minutes throughout the year.

Quito is a couple of minutes drive south of the Equator and the town right on the equator is now sort of a Quito suburb.

I have heard the 10kw HCJB 6050 in quito several times up here

 

[powers]

I thought I had remembered from my childhood that skywave was usually based on darkness where the transmitter was, so for example in California you would start hearing stations to the east in mid-afternoon California time. This would also be the reason why I was hearing Honolulu from Carmel at 8 AM Pacific Time, because it was still dark in Hawaii. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

Yes, I understand that there are always exceptions to this.

 

[davideduardo]

I thought I had remembered from my childhood that skywave was usually based on darkness where the transmitter was, so for example in California you would start hearing stations to the east in mid-afternoon California time. This would also be the reason why I was hearing Honolulu from Carmel at 8 AM Pacific Time, because it was still dark in Hawaii. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

Sort of correct. A lot depends on the altitude of the actively reflective layer of the atmosphere at the time. Most long-distance reception on AM comes from multiple skips.

So, if you are trying to get WABC from New York in Quincy, Illinois it is likely that the skip will occur over Ohio, maybe 500 to 600 miles away. Darkness occurs on hour intervals in each of the 24 time zones, so the Quincy reception might start being possible about an hour before Quincy sunset and an hour after New York sunset.

This is why the FCC has some stations reduce power in "Critical Hours" to protect from what DXers call "sunset skip".

Critical hours for radio stations is the time from sunrise to two hours after sunrise, and from two hours before sunset until sunset, local time. During this time, certain American radio stations may be operating with reduced power as a result of Section 73.187 of the Federal Communications Commission's rules.

So, in CA you might hear skip at 7 PM if Summer sunset was 9 PM or at 3 PM if winter sunset was at 5 PM.

In your case of Honolulu reception, the issue is not darkness in Hawaii, but of darkness between Carmel and Honolulu somewhere out over the Pacific.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

I thought I had remembered from my childhood that skywave was usually based on darkness where the transmitter was, so for example in California you would start hearing stations to the east in mid-afternoon California time. This would also be the reason why I was hearing Honolulu from Carmel at 8 AM Pacific Time, because it was still dark in Hawaii. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

Yes, I understand that there are always exceptions to this.

I have learned Alaska is a big exception to most propagation rules you can think of.

6 and 9mhz frequencies bombing in from africa like a local at high noon? Yup.
15mhz frequencies pretty loud at night? Yup
Low power latin american SW signals coming in way better than youd ever expect?
Yup

 

[gr8oldies]

Sort of correct. A lot depends on the altitude of the actively reflective layer of the atmosphere at the time. Most long-distance reception on AM comes from multiple skips.

So, if you are trying to get WABC from New York in Quincy, Illinois it is likely that the skip will occur over Ohio, maybe 500 to 600 miles away. Darkness occurs on hour intervals in each of the 24 time zones, so the Quincy reception might start being possible about an hour before Quincy sunset and an hour after New York sunset.

This is why the FCC has some stations reduce power in "Critical Hours" to protect from what DXers call "sunset skip".

Critical hours for radio stations is the time from sunrise to two hours after sunrise, and from two hours before sunset until sunset, local time. During this time, certain American radio stations may be operating with reduced power as a result of Section 73.187 of the Federal Communications Commission's rules.

So, in CA you might hear skip at 7 PM if Summer sunset was 9 PM or at 3 PM if winter sunset was at 5 PM.

In your case of Honolulu reception, the issue is not darkness in Hawaii, but of darkness between Carmel and Honolulu somewhere out over the Pacific.

I once lived in Quincy,IL but don't remember anything specific as to fade-in times of WABC. At my teenage-hood home in West Central Ohio, I could start catching WABC in the 4pm hour in the dead of winter, where I might be able to catch some of Dan Ingram's show. It was the time 60 meter Africans faded in as well. I do remember the Ashtabula OH AM on 970 once in Quincy at 8am Central, 9am Eastern, daylight both places.

 

[Radionys]

You should hear how KFBK sounds up here with the equivalent ERP of 125KW 2500 miles aw ay in western Alaska.

Take a listen:

KFBK 1530 Sacramento, CA 640pm Thu Oct 19, 2023.MP3

drive.google.com

I used to get KFBK loud and clear where I was stationed at a radar site near Scammon Bay Alaska in the mid 70s.

 

[K8PLW]

Is it possible to get AM radio stations from California in Hawaii?

Easily. My wife and I went to Hawaii for our honeymoon in November 2017. Of course I brought along several radios. One night we sat a picnic table right on the beach for almost 2 hours after dark. I had my Sony ICF-2010 with me. Tons of signals! I believe WBAP, and possibly KMOX, were my two furthest catches. I could've sat there all night DXing, but my wife was being a good sport about it and I didn't want to push my luck

Western U.S. mainland is no big deal to receive from Hawaii. I recall KNX being an easy copy in the rental car before the sun even set.