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DXing In Hawaii
- Thread starter radioman148
- Start date
Whew, lots of questions, you all. Just so you know, all I use for picking up broadcast band signals is either my trusty Superadio II, or my Grundig S350DL. I prefer the SR-II for it's superior sound quality, but it is not as selective as the Grundig. I am also out on a farm on the north shore, away from street lights and overhead power lines, so conditions here are mostly ideal.
I confirmed that AM 530 is indeed the Cuban station. Conditions are quite variable here, and what comes in one night may not happen again for days or weeks. KGO is receivable a couple times a month, but mostly it is buried in the static. Same with KCBS. KKOH is so regular I did not consider it anything exceptional, much like KMJ, KTRB and KNBR. Green 960 appears most nights, but not as regularly as KMKY. I've never heard WSB on 750 khz, and the frequency is is mostly noise, KFQD in Alaska, or is occupied with the station on 747 khz from Japan that provides English lessons nightly (parallel with 774 khz). Australia is occasionally receivable, as is Auckland, and Tahiti is also occasional, not regular.
Early this morning was a treat. I woke up early, and found that instead of the Maui ESPN affiliate on 550 khz, there was folk music on or about the same frequency, with Mandarin language being spoken. Japanese and other far-east AM stations were very strong, wiping out the Honolulu AM stations. And 640 khz was also announcing in Chinese. 666 khz was coming in clearly, very poor quality (low fidelity) music, likely from the Philippines.
Because early morning here has no signals from the lower 48, it opens up the rest of the world, or at least the part that is still in darkness.
I confirmed that AM 530 is indeed the Cuban station. Conditions are quite variable here, and what comes in one night may not happen again for days or weeks. KGO is receivable a couple times a month, but mostly it is buried in the static. Same with KCBS. KKOH is so regular I did not consider it anything exceptional, much like KMJ, KTRB and KNBR. Green 960 appears most nights, but not as regularly as KMKY. I've never heard WSB on 750 khz, and the frequency is is mostly noise, KFQD in Alaska, or is occupied with the station on 747 khz from Japan that provides English lessons nightly (parallel with 774 khz). Australia is occasionally receivable, as is Auckland, and Tahiti is also occasional, not regular.
Early this morning was a treat. I woke up early, and found that instead of the Maui ESPN affiliate on 550 khz, there was folk music on or about the same frequency, with Mandarin language being spoken. Japanese and other far-east AM stations were very strong, wiping out the Honolulu AM stations. And 640 khz was also announcing in Chinese. 666 khz was coming in clearly, very poor quality (low fidelity) music, likely from the Philippines.
Because early morning here has no signals from the lower 48, it opens up the rest of the world, or at least the part that is still in darkness.
JR1967 said:
Here where I am on Oahu 750 is tough because of a local 760 in Honolulu. However, I have heard KXL a few times. Some people have reported hearing the 750 in Anchorage, Ak, but I've not heard it here.
Cyberdad--I have not heard the 710 from the Philippines although I've tried for it several times. The only one I've ever heard on 710 is KIRO.
I tried for some far east DX last night, but conditions in that direction have not been very good. I have heard hets from the far east but nothing identifiable.
Don Mussell said:
Don--thanks for your observations on the reception from the far east. I'm having a very difficult time getting anything from that direction here in Oahu on this trip. My location does not give me a good line in that direction. Last year I had a much easier time hearing Japan & all the others including Australia.
Your observations are very much appreciated.
Well, if you want to hear the far east, you will have to get up very early on Oahu. Like I said in an earlier post, far east signals this morning were the strongest I have heard here in a long time. 3:00 AM here in Hawaii is about 11 PM in Tokyo, prime skip time, and it gets better as local sunrise approaches here in Hawaii.
Don Mussell said:
I was up close to 4AM last night, but I didn't have much luck. Do you ever get WBBM under KKOH? Do you ever hear any of the Chicago 50KWs
where you are? I picked up WBBM & WLS here years ago when those frequencies were clear, but not having any luck with those now. Thought I heard something under KKOH, but couldn't confirm it.
Also, just heard elevator music on 530. Is that what airs in Cuba? Couldn't stay with it long enough or strong enough to confirm with the online stream
Thanks!
I can guarantee you were hearing 530 from Cuba. Any time I go to that station, they are playing that elevator music, the kind of music that used to be on a lot of FM stations in the 60s and 70s until top 40 took over the FM dial.
Don't hold your breath waiting for an ID from that station because even though there's s woman talking between every song, you'd have to listen for a long time until there's ever the mention of Cuba.
That's an amazing catch you got, especially considering the station is at the bottom of the band and it's allegedly only 10 kw.
Don't hold your breath waiting for an ID from that station because even though there's s woman talking between every song, you'd have to listen for a long time until there's ever the mention of Cuba.
That's an amazing catch you got, especially considering the station is at the bottom of the band and it's allegedly only 10 kw.
gar fla said:
Well if it was Cuba that is 4,775 miles at 10K watts. Amazing!
To Don and radioman: Thanks for your responses concerning WSB 750 here in Atlanta. I remember decades ago, before stations like KXL and a couple of others signed on that same dial that WSB's signal went as far as San Diego at night.
Too bad stations like KGO and KCBS are directional-one could only imagine how far their signals would go over the Pacific if they were non-directional.
Too bad stations like KGO and KCBS are directional-one could only imagine how far their signals would go over the Pacific if they were non-directional.
radioman148 said:
The Philippines have moved to the 9khz spacing, so the 710 that was there in the mid-60s has moved. I think it's still in the general neighborhood, however. Hearing the Cuban in Hawaii is absolutely amazing. Congratulations (and to Don as well)! It speaks as to what can still happen on an uncrowded frequency....even on the lowest end of the dial.
(And to address gar fla's other question about the Cubans, 670 is definitely the stud daytime Cuban signal here on the gulf coast at the FL-AL border).
cyberdad said:
You're right on Cyberdad. DXing out here is reminiscent of the good old days back in the 60s when we could hear stations coast to coast with no problem. It's absolutely still possible if you're in a place like this.
stormy01 said:
I was in the Navy in the 80's and was the HF/UHF tech in the radio room (errr...Radio Central)- and yes the reception was awesome! I modified an HF receiver by mixing in a 5Mhz cancellation frequency and just tuned in AM stations +5Mhz, so KKOH was 5780 and KNX was 6070, for example. I remember getting both KGO and KCBS fairly regulary on one trip back from the far east, about half-way between Japan and HI- though I do remember them fading out a lot (I wonder if they were directional to the N-S back in the late 80's as they are now?). The first station I ever remember getting when I started DXing on the ship was WOAI 1200, San Antonio. Have you guys ever picked up WOAI or is there a local stationin HI that steps on it?
The last time I heard WOAI here was in the early 1990's, before the 1200 khz signal from Soquel (California) signed on. KGO and KCBS have used the same DA pattern for many decades, but they do work better south of Hawaii, since the beam is a bit wider the further south you go.
AM signals still travel just fine, but interference levels are so high on the mainland now because there is just too much RF from all directions. On my occasional visits to California and other states, I listen at night and it is just overwhelming noise. I guess I am spoiled out here.
When I was in American Samoa in December, I was pretty amazed to pull in KNX and KFI, and even KFWB, not strong but there they were, as well as KUMU (1500 khz in Honolulu), which was very strong. Oddly, KHVH (830 khz in Honolulu) and KUAI (Eleele, Kauai) were not readable on the same night.
The ionosphere is fickle that way.
AM signals still travel just fine, but interference levels are so high on the mainland now because there is just too much RF from all directions. On my occasional visits to California and other states, I listen at night and it is just overwhelming noise. I guess I am spoiled out here.
When I was in American Samoa in December, I was pretty amazed to pull in KNX and KFI, and even KFWB, not strong but there they were, as well as KUMU (1500 khz in Honolulu), which was very strong. Oddly, KHVH (830 khz in Honolulu) and KUAI (Eleele, Kauai) were not readable on the same night.
The ionosphere is fickle that way.
A first time catch for me out here tonight is KHTK 1140 at 8:45PM HST.
F
frcradio
Guest
I wonder how far off shore stations can be heard on mid day ground wave ?
frcradio said:
From the bay area, I have heard KGO and KCBS down to Pt. Conception with a good signal, about 20 miles offshore, although KBRT and KCBS start to really mix at around Morro Bay. My friends on various transpac races have been able to hear bay area AM stations out about 200 miles off shore during the daytime, depending on the power and signal pattern.
Here in Hawai`i, the AM signals are very good over the water path, but signals are affected by the mountains on each island. I measured signals at South Point (on the Big Island) a few years ago, and found that the launch angle, ground system condition and local obstructions make a very big difference in how well signals travel across the open water. At South Point, AM 650 is equal with 760, but KVHV and KSSK don't do as well. Different towers, different results. Despite this, daytime signals do very well due south of Oahu, where the signals launch from the edge of the island and onto the water. 350 miles was an easy trip for 590, 650, 690, 760 and 830 khz. The upper band did ok, but not quite as well, mostly due to lower power.
I have never brought the FIM-41 on board a trip, but maybe I should next time. But I would hate if something were to happen to it.
Don Mussell said:
Don--Have you ever heard WBBM under KKOH? What is the station farthest east on the mainland that you have heard in Hawaii?
Thanks.
Tonight on Oahu heard KTIQ on 1660. Also heard a Spanish language station on 740 when I was trying to hear KCBS. Don't know where that was coming from.
It was a while ago, but yes, I heard WBBM when KKOH was off the air. I also heard WLS in the mud that night, fighting with what I guess was the station in Utah. I hear KOA sometimes when Hilo is reduced out by long skip. KTNN is also heard, along with KKOB, but it is not that often. I think that the furthest distant station I have heard east previously was WHAS, but that was in the time when 840 khz in Modesto was off the air for a few months and KTRB was still being constructed on 860. Again, one of those long skip nights where KHVH on 830 khz was nulled out.
I think my long distance winner for east-west is the Cuban station on 530 khz, however. I still have not caught a northern Europe station at local sunrise here, but I know it is possible, because Alaska is so strong on some mornings.
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