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Flying Wild Alaska

I

Icangelp

I was watching Flying Wild Alaska on Discovery and noticed the opening sequence included video of a plane coming into what appears to be Nome, Alaska and the KICY transmitting antennas situated on the seafront just southwest of town. But, then again, maybe not.

I assume that the footage is part of every program.

Only a DXer would care.
 
I think that footage is part of every broadcast, but I was unaware it was Nome. Unalakleet has its own tiny radio station that's highlighted on the show from time to time.
 
schmave said:
I think that footage is part of every broadcast, but I was unaware it was Nome. Unalakleet has its own tiny radio station that's highlighted on the show from time to time.
Click to expand...
I'll be in Alaska at some point in July, first on business, followed by fly-in camping/trekking, and then my wife joins me for a southward cruise to Vancouver. Talk about a lot of wardrobe changes.

I'll be tight on luggage space, so I plan to take along only my Tecsun PL-380 and maybe my Sony SRF-37.

I'd bring my Eton E100 which I modified with an external ferrite loop-stick antenna, but I'm afraid what the TSA screeners might think. ::)
 
Icangelp said:
schmave said:
I think that footage is part of every broadcast, but I was unaware it was Nome. Unalakleet has its own tiny radio station that's highlighted on the show from time to time.
Click to expand...
I'll be in Alaska at some point in July, first on business, followed by fly-in camping/trekking, and then my wife joins me for a southward cruise to Vancouver. Talk about a lot of wardrobe changes.

I'll be tight on luggage space, so I plan to take along only my Tecsun PL-380 and maybe my Sony SRF-37.

I'd bring my Eton E100 which I modified with an external ferrite loop-stick antenna, but I'm afraid what the TSA screeners might think. ::)
Click to expand...

Good luck and please let us know if you hear anything interesting. It will probably be tough to DX the lower 48 with the very long daylight hours.
 
As someone who was stationed there for 2 years, indeed maybe shortwave will be your only DX in July....but one never knows.

Over two whole years, I only logged about 125 AM stations, including Anchorage locals. My first non-AK catches were KFBK 1530 & CFUN 1410 on the same night, and I believe that was in October 1978.

Hopefully you will be along a coastline, where there will be a decent path across water.

Oh & BTW, never had E-skip either; I don't think I ever heard FM or saw any TV outside of Anchorage. In the MatSu Valley at that time, there was only an AM station or two.

Sorry to burst any bubbles....hope you have shortwave! And in July, I'm not sure about SW either, but the only SW rx's I had were borrowed.

I did catch KICY & KNOM Nome, but that had to be during wintertime. KICY directs their 50 kW night signal over Siberia, which is interesting, because one must have an analog rx there to hear it, due to the 850 freq.

cd
 
When I was there in late May, I learned very quickly that the long daylight hours basically mean you have daytime propagation all day and all night. I did not hear anything outside of Alaska. On the other hand, there is very little QRM and you can hear AK stations for hundreds of miles. The low-dial Anchorage stations cover at least 1/3 of the state. I heard them easily up the highway as far as Denali Park. Short wave is OK and you'll get the usual religious blasters without any problems, just like in BC.
 
And some of the Fairbanks FMs carry all the way to Glenallen. During my visit to Alaska, I didn't hear any non-Alaskan radio stations, but I was also there in the summer, with 22 hours of daylight.
 
There was someone awhile back who mentioned hearing WBZ in Alaska and another, I think it was "cd" who heard WWL while there.
I'm assuming that had to be during winter.
 
Sounds like it should be a great trip.

I'd think DXing on the cruise part could be interesting. Although when I was on the yacht that my brother-in-law captains this past February in Key West, the noise levels on the boat were pretty ridiculous. I didn't get to do nearly as much DXing as I'd wanted to....and most of that was poolside in the marina.

Hopefully, however, you can find a noise-free spot somewhere on one of the decks. I'll definitely look forward to hearing any reports you can send us.
 
radioman148 said:
There was someone awhile back who mentioned hearing WBZ in Alaska and another, I think it was "cd" who heard WWL while there.
I'm assuming that had to be during winter.
Click to expand...

'Twas me. WWL was not the farthest catch at 3600 miles (Philippines 1143 was, at 5200 mi---at least I got a QSL card, so I figure I got 'em), but I think it was the prize catch. I think I did try for WCBS 880 on a night where the usual catch of KRVN was off, but could not quite get a signal loud enough. Might have even been that same night as WWL.

This was over 1 year prior to the first GE Superadio----grrrrr! The WWL was on the Delco car radio.

cd
 
cd637299 said:
radioman148 said:
There was someone awhile back who mentioned hearing WBZ in Alaska and another, I think it was "cd" who heard WWL while there.
I'm assuming that had to be during winter.
Click to expand...

'Twas me. WWL was not the farthest catch at 3600 miles (Philippines 1143 was, at 5200 mi---at least I got a QSL card, so I figure I got 'em), but I think it was the prize catch. I think I did try for WCBS 880 on a night where the usual catch of KRVN was off, but could not quite get a signal loud enough. Might have even been that same night as WWL.

This was over 1 year prior to the first GE Superadio----grrrrr! The WWL was on the Delco car radio.

cd
Click to expand...

This had to be in the winter, right?
 
cyberdad said:
Sounds like it should be a great trip.

I'd think DXing on the cruise part could be interesting. Although when I was on the yacht that my brother-in-law captains this past February in Key West, the noise levels on the boat were pretty ridiculous. I didn't get to do nearly as much DXing as I'd wanted to....and most of that was poolside in the marina.

Hopefully, however, you can find a noise-free spot somewhere on one of the decks. I'll definitely look forward to hearing any reports you can send us.
Click to expand...

I was on a cruise ship twice and for me the DXing was impossible. I know there are people that have been able to find spots on the ship to do it from.
If I ever get another opportunity I'd like to know where those spots are because I could not find a noise free area.
 
@ radioman---it was over 30 years ago, but I suppose it had to have been in the winter. I had a list, but did not log dates.

cd
 
I've been to Anchorage a few times in the summer for work and never heard anything outside of the local area on AM due to the long daylight. My one experience trying to listen during a cruise was unsuccessful due to the QRM. All the lights on the ship are fluorescent and the radar creates a lot of interference. As it will be daylight most of the time, I would focus on the scenery, which is magnificent.
 
Ask Ariel how the reception is during the winter. She is really friendly and answers back. I don't know if she DX's, but it has to be one of the things you do to pass the time in winter when the darkness and weather shuts everything down.
 
I had completely forgotten about the long days of summer.

Looks like I'll be up in Gates of the Arctic NP for a few days and will bring the PL-380 along for a try at MW & shortwave.

We've got a balcony room on the cruise. That may help.

Who is Ariel? Never mind. I figured out who she is.
 
Elmendorf AFB (outside of Anchorage) used to have their own small phone book, and one of the listings was "Time of Day" or "WWV", I don't recall how it was listed....but you dialed the number, and ISTR you would hear an absolute mess---WWV, WWVH & the former JJY in Japan---all at once. Had to be a good SW radio they used, though! Dunno if it was 5 or 10Mhz.

cd
 
I just returned from a weeklong cruise to Juneau and back (to Seattle). Even on the veranda or the nav deck picking up anything on AM was a challenge.

The last day of the cruise I did hear Seattle-White Sox thanks to The Team 1410 in Vancouver, the old 14 C-FUN, with the Mariner's feed.

Had too much to enjoy in the ports we were in so I didn't make an attempt to aircheck anything. The one thing I really wanted was the ID of the AM in Sitka, KIFW-1230.

The Sitka AM's tower site is picturesque and would by Fybush worthy. But group tours don't stop for tower pics.
 
It will be a great trip even without excellent DX.

I've been promised a trip to Gates of the Arctic NP if time permits, which should bring hours of interference free listening even if it is just dead air.
 
Icangelp said:
It will be a great trip even without excellent DX.

I've been promised a trip to Gates of the Arctic NP if time permits, which should bring hours of interference free listening even if it is just dead air.
Click to expand...

Oh, natch! Alaska is a lovely state. There's more to life than DXing.

cd
 
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