DX and Reception/BORING

[ddsparxx]

Last time I was on the Outer Banks of NC I heard WCBS 880 at anytime with a GE Superadio II, and before that, on the outer banks, the Long Island's WALK-, FM 97.5 with a GE Superadio III that delivered only adequate performance on FM, during a tropo.

The best I ever did mid day was hearing KNBR, KCBS, & KGO San Francisco from the beach just north of San Diego.

I probably should have mentioned that the East coast 50 kW AM stations have lot less signal coverage area then the 50kW AM stations on the West coast when signals travel inland. (WCBS signals over the water to outer banks). When I was on the central Oregon coast in 2007 I heard Seattle's KOMO 1000 even during the day.

 

[radioman148]

Last time I was on the Outer Banks of NC I heard WCBS 880 at anytime with a GE Superadio II, and before that, on the outer banks, the Long Island's WALK-, FM 97.5 with a GE Superadio III that delivered only adequate performance on FM, during a tropo.

The best I ever did mid day was hearing KNBR, KCBS, & KGO San Francisco from the beach just north of San Diego.

I probably should have mentioned that the East coast 50 kW AM stations have lot less signal coverage area then the 50kW AM stations on the West coast when signals travel inland. (WCBS signals over the water to outer banks). When I was on the central Oregon coast in 2007 I heard Seattle's KOMO 1000 even during the day.

Why do you think that is?

 

[elchupacabras]

Last time I was on the Outer Banks of NC I heard WCBS 880 at anytime with a GE Superadio II, and before that, on the outer banks, the Long Island's WALK-, FM 97.5 with a GE Superadio III that delivered only adequate performance on FM, during a tropo.

The best I ever did mid day was hearing KNBR, KCBS, & KGO San Francisco from the beach just north of San Diego.

I probably should have mentioned that the East coast 50 kW AM stations have lot less signal coverage area then the 50kW AM stations on the West coast when signals travel inland. (WCBS signals over the water to outer banks). When I was on the central Oregon coast in 2007 I heard Seattle's KOMO 1000 even during the day.

Why do you think that is?

Much has to do with ground conductivity. The east has terrible ground conductivity, and while it may not necessarily be ideal in L.A., most of the west does much better. While living in TN/VA, I seemed to notice just how attenuated coverage was compared to living in the west.

 

[elchupacabras]

AM DXing from Hawaii is still kind of like the old days. You get a real potpourri of stations to listen to from great distances in all directions depending on what time during the hours of darkness you listen.
There are probably a few unique locations like this you can still have great fun DXing from. I don't think listening from the caribbean would give you a real good shot at US DX since there is so much noise from latin America, but I imagine you'd have a good shot at South America.

The San Juan area of Puerto Rico, particularly the more inland suburbs like Guaynabo, have blockage at almost all useful angles for reception from South America, and E/W paths in the tropics are notoriously bad. So what you get, if you can find a good DX location with little noise, is mostly Europe, N. Africa and US / Canada..

I had to go to Guánica on the south coast to DX Latin America. From home, I heard fewer, and will much poorer signals. Even in my car radio, I'd usually get a het on 1250 if I looked... Algeria... every afternoon around 3 PM. Audio came out about half the time.

Also car DXed 690 from El Paso, TX just after San Juan sunset one evening.... KHEY, before pattern change in TX.

Some parts of South America are fantastic. DXing shortwave from Rosario, Argentina some 20 years ago was spectacular. Also, I noticed that southern Chubut province of Argentina was a great spot as well due to it's location and ground conductivity. I could hear stations from Europe, Africa and even caught WCBS one night on a skip! I can't complain too much where I am at in Mexico now, as RFI seems to be much reduced from that of the states, although powerlines are dirtier here, creating a little more difficulty.

 

[rbrucecarter5]

When I get the time, I'm hoping to take a trip across the state to see what I can get, probably around Melbourne or there abouts. You think reception would also be possible on a Sony Walkman or car radio?

My location was Daytona Beach Shores, which is a barrier island. The house I was living in was right on the intercoastal waterway.

I never had any luck on a car radio.

 

[radioman148]

AM DXing from Hawaii is still kind of like the old days. You get a real potpourri of stations to listen to from great distances in all directions depending on what time during the hours of darkness you listen.
There are probably a few unique locations like this you can still have great fun DXing from. I don't think listening from the caribbean would give you a real good shot at US DX since there is so much noise from latin America, but I imagine you'd have a good shot at South America.

The San Juan area of Puerto Rico, particularly the more inland suburbs like Guaynabo, have blockage at almost all useful angles for reception from South America, and E/W paths in the tropics are notoriously bad. So what you get, if you can find a good DX location with little noise, is mostly Europe, N. Africa and US / Canada..

I had to go to Guánica on the south coast to DX Latin America. From home, I heard fewer, and will much poorer signals. Even in my car radio, I'd usually get a het on 1250 if I looked... Algeria... every afternoon around 3 PM. Audio came out about half the time.

Also car DXed 690 from El Paso, TX just after San Juan sunset one evening.... KHEY, before pattern change in TX.

Some parts of South America are fantastic. DXing shortwave from Rosario, Argentina some 20 years ago was spectacular. Also, I noticed that southern Chubut province of Argentina was a great spot as well due to it's location and ground conductivity. I could hear stations from Europe, Africa and even caught WCBS one night on a skip! I can't complain too much where I am at in Mexico now, as RFI seems to be much reduced from that of the states, although powerlines are dirtier here, creating a little more difficulty.

Can you catch any midwest DX from Mexico these days? Years ago WLS & WBBM came in very well in southern Mexico when I was there, however I'm not so sure it's still possible these days.

 

[gar hi]

My location was Daytona Beach Shores, which is a barrier island. The house I was living in was right on the intercoastal waterway.

I never had any luck on a car radio.

I was thinking there is some land between NYC and Daytona, so maybe reception would be better more to the south? I've heard many reports of good daytime reception from Bermuda on standard radios and that's about 800 miles.

 

[trusty]

Methinks Bermuda would be a great place to DX. According to Radio Station World, Bermuda has 5 local AM's on 1160, 1230, 1280, 1340 and 1450.

 

[gar hi]

I was talking about DXing New York stations from Bermuda. I guess the way I stated it could be taken another way too.

 

[radioman148]

I was talking about DXing New York stations from Bermuda. I guess the way I stated it could be taken another way too.

Can you really DX NYC stations from Bermuda during the day?

 

[kenglish]

Is it just me, or does it seem absurd that some of those islands (I read about St. Simon's last night) have ANTENNA RESTRICTIONS?

That's like banning golf courses, fishing, or looking at a beautiful sunrise. God MADE those islands for DX'ing! ;D

 

[gar hi]

Can you really DX NYC stations from Bermuda during the day?

According to this....


http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php?topic=104421.0

 

[radioman148]

That is a helluva daytime catch even over salt water. I wonder what the saltwater daytime distance record is?

 

[trusty]

I was talking about DXing New York stations from Bermuda. I guess the way I stated it could be taken another way too.

Me, too. Sorry I didn't make myself clear. What I meant was you wouldn't have much interference from the Bermuda stations with their dial positions...

 

[radioman148]

I was talking about DXing New York stations from Bermuda. I guess the way I stated it could be taken another way too.

Me, too. Sorry I didn't make myself clear. What I meant was you wouldn't have much interference from the Bermuda stations with their dial positions...

On a beach in Bermuda at night you can probably catch Europe, North America, Caribbean, South America & who knows what else.

 

[trusty]

On a beach in Bermuda at night you can probably catch ... a lot more than radio stations.



(Sorry. Couldn't help it...)





Yes I could.........

 

[radioman148]

On a beach in Bermuda at night you can probably catch ... a lot more than radio stations.



(Sorry. Couldn't help it...)





Yes I could.........

That too!

 

[vibe]

We were on St. Simons Is (GA) in late Feb. Picked up the NYC's on the N end of the island (near ft. frederica) and several other "graveyards' from 200+ mi away. This was 2-3 hrs before sunset. But I had someone with me and only got to play with the radio for a short while.
Sometimes it's boring, sometimes not....
Sometime the "finds' are worth it.

 

[radioman148]

We were on St. Simons Is (GA) in late Feb. Picked up the NYC's on the N end of the island (near ft. frederica) and several other "graveyards' from 200+ mi away. This was 2-3 hrs before sunset. But I had someone with me and only got to play with the radio for a short while.
Sometimes it's boring, sometimes not....
Sometime the "finds' are worth it.

I would imagine in Bermuda you have a great shot at European & African DX.

 

[gar hi]

We were on St. Simons Is (GA) in late Feb. Picked up the NYC's on the N end of the island (near ft. frederica) and several other "graveyards' from 200+ mi away. This was 2-3 hrs before sunset.

Being there's also a lot of land between there and NYC, my guess would be that could have been an early skip starting, combined with the fact there's also water between the two places.