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Found an SDR receiver in Hawaii for you guys

There are some really cool west coast and northwestern US SDRs (Sammamich WA and a couple of Montana rigs). I don't have extensive experience with Hawaii but it's certainly possible.
 
Thanks, Gar. I found an SDR on Oahu several months ago, and it turned out to be totally useless for AM (BCB) DX. I'm not sure if that's still the case, but I'll be anxious to check out the Maui rig.
 
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The Oahu SDR was just fine last night. Not sure what you mean by 'totally useless'. NH6XO is the ham that operates it. I heard KSL, CHMJ, a weak KGO, something in SS under KKOH-780, etc. Personally I love the KA7U Weiser ID SDR. Best NDB SDR I've ever used. I've even heard the 272 khz NDB from the Galapagos Islands on that one, last winter. Not uncommon to hear Ontario NDBs all over the place. Most of the time it also picks up 530 khz Enciclopedia from Cuba. It was about S7 with some static crashes last night.
 
crainbebo said:
The Oahu SDR was just fine last night. Not sure what you mean by 'totally useless'. .
Click to expand...

My lone experience with it was back in February or March of this year. And, as I said after I made the "totally useless" remark, "that may no longer be the case".

I tuned it during late morning Hawaii time. I know where Kaneohe is. When I spent my junior year of high school in Honolulu, it was a place you went through if you wanted to hang out on Oahu's north shore. My memory is that in the car radio ('62 Impala), the Koolau mountains sucked out a lot of the strength from the Honolulu AMs, but they were still very listenable. But when I tried the Kaneohe SDR, the Honolulu AMs were...for the most part...barely audible. So I figured something was up with the antenna or antenna connection. I never bothered to check back that night or later. Given you're saying, that now seems like a mistake on my part.

As for the aforementioned '62 Chevy. That white and red beauty contained the stock radio that snagged WLS, WBAP, and WWL for me one Saturday night in February 1965! Also on Oahu's north shore.

Finally, I certainly agree with you that the Weiser, ID SDR is a great receiver. I've listened to that one a few times, although not recently.
 
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gr8oldies said:
There are SDRs in Iceland. I was picking up a bunch of Brazillians on it last summer
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I was having a little fun with that one earlier this evening. A few of the east coast "big boys" were in....WRKO, WCBS, WFED, WWKB. Not particularly surprising, but the "prize catch" was CHRN from Montreal. 1kw on 1610. Positive ID and very listenable. I was also getting a good signal on 1390 with an American talk show and advertising, but I never was able t catch an ID.

And @crainbebo.... I tried the Oahu SDR an hour or two after my last post. Mid day in Hawaii, and the results were the polar opposite of what i encountered several months ago. And pretty much what I remembered/expected on Oahu's north show. All the Honolulu stations were in....although 650 and 940 were weak. Not surprising since they're diplexed from a stick that's about 15 miles away from the city in a location that has more mountain terrain to get through. I also was able to hear all of the Maui signals. Weak, but listenable.
 
This receiver in Maui is great because there's no interference at all from unwanted electronic noises.

That's one problem I have where I am and I have to go outside to get away from it which there aren't many opportunities because of the rain or the heavy dew that forms on the chair when it's clear.

The Maui receiver is a great substitute now for my own radio.

Once again last night, I was able to hear WBBM behind KKOH and yet when I went to an SDR receiver in Montana, it was all KKOH on 780 and no trace of WBBM.

On 610, I was able to get a nice signal for a while from KEAR (formally KFRC) and when I went back later it was all KONA from Washington state.

On 700, I heard something I never heard here before. I thought I was hearing KALL or WLW but it was KYBR from Anchorage and with a very good signal too!

If any of you are able to stay up late enough, you will really like what you hear on this receiver on AM at night.
 
Awesome website. I've never used one of these before (and still don't think I fully understand how to use it), but it's a blast to input various frequencies to see what you can pick up.
 
That was fun! Just got a new addiction- never used one of these before, either. Went to Maui to listen to one of my locals- in this case KJR 950 Seattle, pretty darn clear.
 
I found the Maui SDR (AI6VN/KH6). 620 is strong Adult Standards. I suspect this is KGTL in Homer, AK. They are playing Paul Mauriat's 'Love is Blue', the #1 hit on the Billboard charts in 1968. CBK-540 is quite strong. KIRO-710 is S9+. 780 has KKOH and an UNID with some interesting Spanish music, probably Venezuela or one of the XEs? 1700 is a mix of XEPE and a very weak, but confirmed by webstream, KKLF Richardson TX!! Looks like over 3,700 miles. KGO is quite weak but readable with John Batchelor.
EDIT - Cuban Chorus of Rebelde on 1180!!
 
The New Chico said:
That was fun! Just got a new addiction- never used one of these before, either. Went to Maui to listen to one of my locals- in this case KJR 950 Seattle, pretty darn clear.
Click to expand...

The SDR is even more fun during the cold weather months when nights are longer and conditions are typically better!

Speaking of Washington signals getting to Hawaii, I've told this story before, but here goes again for those who haven't heard it....

During my Junior year of high school in Honolulu during early 1965, I was talking to an engineer from Honolulu's KGMB/590 (now KSSK). In those days some Honolulu AM's had relay stations on the outer islands. Typically the feed to the relay came directly over the air from the parent station. The engineer told me that the setup for KGMB was proving to be quite problematic because the location of the rebroadcasting station was frequently getting significant nighttime interference from the 590 at Spokane.
 
Right now, it's nothing but CFFR from Calgary on 660 and a good signal too.

First time I've ever heard that station from Hawaii.

Usually, it's a very weak KTNN.
 
600 right now is a mix of KOGO with Coast to Coast, and CJWW Saskatoon, SK. On 620 it's KGTL Homer, AK w/ Music of Your Life and mentioning 'FM102 in Seward', KPOJ is mixing. 630 has CHED and an unID mixing.
Radio Rebelde Cuba is on 710 mixing with KIRO!! They are matching to Shortwave 5025 khz. Really not much of anything on 810, just a very weak KGO beamed away from Hawaii,and possibly something in SS. 840 KMPH Modesto with Relevant Radio is on top of at least 2 others. Religious-type stuff on 850 under Denver is likely KICY Nome. 920 KVIN Ceres CA mentioning 92.3 is on top of something else. Usual big guns are strong, like KFAX, CHMJ, and KPNW. KVTO-1400 Berkeley CA is on top of the graveyard with Chinese talk.
1340 was a faint jumble from the mainland at TOH but I think I picked out 'ESPN' and 'Arcata' - KATA Arcata CA.
 
I'm glad to hear about KGO.

I was sure I had heard it on Maui near Lahaina in 1994. But a couple of others basically said "probably not" because of the DA. Now, reporting it on the SDR confirms....at least in my mind...that I apparently wasn't misremembering after all. It stands to reason that if stuff from the mainland can be heard on GY channels, then even a nulled signal on 810 should be able to execute the hop.
 
cyberdad said:
I'm glad to hear about KGO.

I was sure I had heard it on Maui near Lahaina in 1994. But a couple of others basically said "probably not" because of the DA. Now, reporting it on the SDR confirms....at least in my mind...that I apparently wasn't misremembering after all. It stands to reason that if stuff from the mainland can be heard on GY channels, then even a nulled signal on 810 should be able to execute the hop.
Click to expand...

I was never able to hear KGO when I was in Hawaii. Guess I didn't have a good enough radio.
 
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