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DXing AM from the Other Side of The World -- Help!

D

dx7

From time to time I read about AM DX catches from Europe, Saudi Arabia, etc. here in the US.

Since I'm something of an AM DX newbie, can someone tell me what I need equipment-wise to get signals from outside the US and Mexico?

Also, since I am in Central Texas, is the situation pretty hopeless because of the Cuban and Mexican signals that seem to occupy virtually every other AM channel here at night?

Thanks.
 
I would pretty much give up TA DX from Texas - I've done it, but it had much more to do with atmospherics than it did with the equipment I was using. The easier TA by far is 531, because the frequency 530 isn't used for much in the US. I've done at least two TA stations. A receiver with a narrow IF setting is imperative, and your best hope is to concentrate on split frequencies - where European stations fall almost halfway in between US stations.
 
rbrucecarter5 said:
I would pretty much give up TA DX from Texas - I've done it, but it had much more to do with atmospherics than it did with the equipment I was using. The easier TA by far is 531, because the frequency 530 isn't used for much in the US. I've done at least two TA stations. A receiver with a narrow IF setting is imperative, and your best hope is to concentrate on split frequencies - where European stations fall almost halfway in between US stations.
Click to expand...

I don't think I have a receiver with a narrow IF. (I have a Panasonic RQ-SW20 that's my main rig, and a local 50kW (nighttime) station 7 miles away can be heard fairly strong +/- 20kHz.) Considering that I have quite strong locals on 600, 690, 760, 910, 1130, 1170, 1360, and several others that are not quite as strong, but are still fairly clear (but most only barely splatter onto the adjacent 10kHz channel, including 1070 from L.A., although sometimes 1580 from Tempe/Phoenix splatters fairly strong on the adjacents), I was wondering if (using the Select-A-Tenna (I haven't gotten a chance to build a better antenna yet)) I might have ANY chance at trans-Pacific DX (from San Diego, CA - more specifically about 15-20 miles inland - in the unincorporated Mt Helix area of San Diego County - south of El Cajon & east of La Mesa)?? If there's ANY remote shot, what would probably be the best time of the day to try, some frequencies to try for (and don't be afraid to list stations that are close in frequency to strong locals. By turning and tilting the radio just right, I can almost completely null the station on 760 (which normally splatters strongly +/-20kHz), whose TX is north-northwest of me.), and (although don't worry about taking into account headings to local transmitters - I'll probably figure that out myself in case I need to try to null any locals) direction(s) I should point my radio/antenna?

And, is any south-American DX, or trans-atlantic DX (from the Pacific coast) possible, or am I SOL?
 
A Select-A-Tenna does not have a high enough "Q" to help with selectivity. If you know exactly what you are doing, you can add ceramic filters in place of interstage capacitors to enhance selectivity. A lot of AM radios have resistors across IF primaries or secondaries to extend frequency response, again if you know a bit of RF design you can spot them and get rid of them. Or make them switchable.

I have never lived on the West Coast, so I don't know a lot about Trans Pacific. The biggest problem would be that there is not going to be continuous night from your location to the target stations. So a portion of the reception has to be through groundwave only. Early morning might be your best bet. I don't know if Asians use split channels.

South and Central America are easy from Texas - it is hard to keep them out. Most people never know, because they don't speak Spanish and can't differentiate from predominantly Mexican stations.
 
A big 'thank you" to everyone who replied to my original post. Looks like Texas is not the best location for trans-atlantic AM dx, but I'll keep trying.
 
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