Did I receive a Euro station on the AM band? (4/2/2013)

[newfoundlandtime]

While walking through the streets of Port aux Basques around 6 pm my time, I was fiddling with the dial on my 1980s-era Sony Walkman (bought last year at a yard sale) and was trying to get my normal catch of 950 CKNB but I must've gone too far down and picked up something that sounded like a European station (anywhere between 540 and 740 perhaps, if not any higher, but not even close to 950) and I was able to hear it for a decent period of time although the signal came and went. I managed to get one last bit heard as I was passing the former Junior High (located off the main road but near the water). I barely made out a mention of 9700 kHz before the top of the hour some European time, and I'm not sure if that frequency ties in with what was briefly discussed in a previous post.

The stuff I heard around the time I was trying to get something else: it was mainly in English and there was a piece about Romania and either economic or government related stuff.

And this was all in broad daylight!! before I got back onto the main road. Being in the 540 to 740 range, I was half-expecting an early evening reception of CBN 640 at the very least (wasn't the case as a brief turn to 91.9 on the FM side didn't match).

I stayed with the unknown until I couldn't pick it up any longer and switched back to my MP3 player to finish the run to home.

 

[cd637299]

I wish that we could know the frequency, at least narrowed down. In the case of it being broad daylight, keep in mind that in Europe it could be at least 3-4 hours later, and dark there. 6 pm in Newfoundland is at least 8:30 pm in the UK, maybe later. Also you are in a much more northern latitude; and although it is April now, maybe there's still a little winter left (in fact there's a thread about the weather here now).

I was told that there's a strong BBC on 693 kHz. Was it a British accent?

Is your Walkman analog or digital? (Analog would definitely help in the Americas.)

There is one other possibility.....many cheaply made radios (I know that even old Walkmans are fairly decent) will generate shortwave images on AM frequencies. I remember a couple of radios I used to have that would put out a SW signal where it's not supposed to be.

Other than that, I can't help you....wish I could.

(I was in St. John's in Aug 1999 for AM DXing, and I did hear the UK 1053 & 1089, then called "The New Talk Radio." Of course, that was deep in the night.)

cd

 

[cyberdad]

BBC world service was on 648. Not sure if it's been turned off. Same goes for the domestic BBC which was on 693. Both of these are/were blowtorches. My guess....and possibly not a very good one....would be Netherlands on 675. This used to be "The Arrow"....a classic rock/oldies format which moved to FM several years ago. But 675 remained on the air with other programming and/or new ownership. The massive signal came in almost like a local in London 24/7. It was still on....and easily audible in my London hotel room....during my last visit not quite two years ago.

 

[cd637299]

BBC world service was on 648. Not sure if it's been turned off. Same goes for the domestic BBC which was on 693. Both of these are/were blowtorches. My guess....and possibly not a very good one....would be Netherlands on 675. This used to be "The Arrow"....a classic rock/oldies format which moved to FM several years ago. But 675 remained on the air with other programming and/or new ownership. The massive signal came in almost like a local in London 24/7. It was still on....and easily audible in my London hotel room....during my last visit not quite two years ago.

^ But our OP mentioned news in English. Maybe 675 is doing English news now, to serve London? Hey if Radio Luxembourg covered the UK,......

cd

 

[Schroedingers Cat]

If it came and went quickly, it's probably a harmonic image related to the 9700 kHz frequency. Particularly if it was in broad daylight. The oscillator harmonic would then be 9700-455=9245 kHz or 9700+455=10155 kHz, and the fundamental would have been around 640+455=1095 kHz. So it would be around the 9th or 10th harmonic of the oscillator.

 

[cyberdad]

OP mentioned news in English. Maybe 675 is doing English news now, to serve London? Hey if Radio Luxembourg covered the UK,......

cd

Hmmm.... Good point.

When 675 was "The Arrow", almost all the music was in English, but the jocks spoke Dutch. I seem to recall that some of the commercials were either in English or had an English component. There certainly was an audience in the southeastern UK. I used to hear it from time to time in business, etc....especially outside of central (noisy) London. Frankly, I thought the format was better than any local music programming elsewhere on the MW (AM) dial. I'm not sure if English language news would be part of the current programming, however.

 

[karldotcom]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/reception/transmitters/radio/medium_long_wave.shtml

Plenty of candidates to choose from.....I would think the 150kW and 200kW stations are your target.

 

[boombox]

For some reason I sort of doubt it would be a SW image. From my knowledge, the BBC doesn't broadcast in English on SW to Europe or N. America anymore. So how could a BBC SW signal be loud enough to overload a Walkman?

My guess is it was a MW outlet from Britain. Another guy in NF seems to get reception from Europe rather well on ultralight radios, even 'barefoot' ones.

 

[newfoundlandtime]

The accent did sound British, and it was an analog Walkman. I have probably mentioned in previous posts that I bought said item as I accidentally dropped my primary (which has a digital tuner) which resulted in me no longer getting AM reception on it.

 

[Tincap]

Something to consider, is that there are NPR stations (as close as New England) in the MW band, which can carry BBC programming. I believe a new-ish one signed on (or flipped) in the Boston area, earlier this winter.

To the best of my knowledge, there would be no European parallels operating on 9700kHz, during the afternoons, local NL time. I see Radio Romania Intl, operates its French service on 9690 kHz, but that would be in the 8:30-9:30 PM range, NL local.

~BG

 

[Tincap]

A good bet would be WNNZ Westfield MA on 640 kHz. It's an NPR station and part of its programming includes the BBC/PRI co-production 'The World'. This program (which I believes includes a BBC news bulletin) can be heard between 4-5pm EST, which would be 5:30-6:30 PM local NL time.

~BG

 

[vo1001swl]

Hello Newfoundlandtime

Almost certain that what you heard was Radio Romania International broadcasting on 9.700 Shortwave with a harmonic on your walkman

I have had that occur here with All India Radio on Shortwave ending up on occasion as a harmonic on 693 khz.


73

Allen
Bristol's Hope, NL

 

[Tincap]

Hello Newfoundlandtime

Almost certain that what you heard was Radio Romania International broadcasting on 9.700 Shortwave with a harmonic on your walkman

I have had that occur here with All India Radio on Shortwave ending up on occasion as a harmonic on 693 khz.


73

Allen


Bristol's Hope, NL

Allen, have things quietened down for you, or are you still getting a lot of TA DX, even during afternoon daylight hours?

~BG

 

[vo1001swl]

Hello ~BG

Still great Dx reception going on here, the daylight shifting is making a difference as the TA's are first audible later now than they were, after 6 PM things start up for the evening once again

The early mornings around 6 AM have also been decent for reception from the south at times as well

73

Allen

 

[cd637299]

Hello ~BG

Still great Dx reception going on here, the daylight shifting is making a difference as the TA's are first audible later now than they were, after 6 PM things start up for the evening once again

The early mornings around 6 AM have also been decent for reception from the south at times as well

73

Allen

Allen, isn't Brazil on AM common for you? I think there's a 1220 in Sao Paulo.

cd

 

[radioman148]

Allen,

Have you ever gotten a dance station on 1000AM from Sao Paulo, Brazil? I believe I heard it on the Northern Ireland Global Tuners receiver.

 

[davideduardo]

Allen,

Have you ever gotten a dance station on 1000AM from Sao Paulo, Brazil? I believe I heard it on the Northern Ireland Global Tuners receiver.

The 1100 in Rio de Janeiro, and the 1000 in São Paulo shared (and I think they still do) a common transmitter site. One is directional towards Rio, the other towards SP. Both are Radio Globo stations.

SP is 200 kw, Rio is 150 kw.

1000 in SP is now a religious station owned by the Universal Church.

 

[tomservo]

The 1100 in Rio de Janeiro, and the 1000 in São Paulo shared (and I think they still do) a common transmitter site. One is directional towards Rio, the other towards SP. Both are Radio Globo stations.

SP is 200 kw, Rio is 150 kw.

1000 in SP is now a religious station owned by the Universal Church.

Aren't those cities over 200 miles apart? Even with such high power I can't imagine them being very solid in each's targeted area.

 

[vo1001swl]

Brazil is quite common here on the dial, usually the Globo stations can be heard most nights or early mornings even if for short periods of time. As of yet no dance music station from Brazil logged on 1000 khz at this location so far. A recent new log heard from there though was Radio Educadora on 560 khz a couple of weeks ago.


Allen
NL