HD Radio DX, is it possible? Any examples?

[DJKraze]

I live in Middletown CT (by the Bridge) and I just got a Insignia Component HD RadioC this weekend, and I seem to do well for getting normal FM stations pulling in things I don't normally get from in the house like WTCC 90.7 in Springfield, but I seem to need a very solid signal to get anything "HD" (AM seems to be lousy on this unit, or I just have a crappy AM antenna). I was wondering if it's possible to actually get HD stations DX when the conditions for normal DX are possible and has anyone here done it yet? (I haven't searched the archives here)

and of course I should do an obligitory band scan and post it below (all stations are standard mode unless noted)
(Nighttime) AM Reception:

660 WFAN NYC
910 WLAT New Britain
1080 WTIC Hartford (no, I don't get them in HD - ????)
1150 WMRD Middletown
1360 WDRC Hartford
That's it, not what I expected or hped for, and none were very clear, heck, I've heard WMRD come across a toaster as strong as it should be here.

Now for the FM, which I am much happier about:

88.1 WESU Middletown
88.5 WFCR HD-1 & HD-2 Amherst
88.7 WNHU New Haven
88.9 WJMJ Bloomfield
89.1 WNPR Norwich
89.3 WRTC Hartford
89.5 WPKN Bridgeport
89.7 W209BK Talcottville
89.9 WQTQ Hartford (not getting it right now, got it earlier)
90.3 WAMC Albany
90.5 WPKT Meriden
90.7 WTCC Springfield
91.1 WSHU Fairfield
91.3 WWUH West Hartford (RDS)
91.7 WHUS Storrs
91.9 W220CH West Hartford (?)
92.5 WWYZ HD-1 & HD-2 Waterbury
93.1 WHYN Springfield
93.3 W227AJ Northford
93.7 WZMX HD-1 & HD-2 Hartford
94.3 WYBC New Haven
94.5 WERB Berlin
94.7 WMAS Springfield
95.1 WRKI Danbury (Not very clear)
95.7 WKSS HD-1 & HD-2 Hartford-Meriden
96.1 WSRS Worcester
96.5 WTIC HD-1 & HD-2 Hartford
96.9 WEHN East Hampton
97.3 WZBG Litchfield
97.5 W248AB Bolton, CT
97.9 WPKX Enfield
98.3 WILI Willimantic
98.7 WNLC East Lyme
99.1 WPLR HD-1 New Haven
99.3 WLZX Northampton
99.9 WEZN Bridgeport
100.5 WRCH HD-1 & HD-2 New Britain
100.9 WRNX Amherst
101.3 WKCI HD-1 & HD-2
101.7 WBEA Southold
102.1 WAQY Springfield (RDS)
102.9 WDRC HD-1 & HD-2
104.1 WURH HD-1 & HD-2 (Was not getting HD till now) Waterbury
104.9 WIHS Middletown
105.5 WVEI Easthampton (very weak)
105.9 WHCN HD-1 & HD-2 Hartford
106.3 WEIB Northampton (very weak)
106.9 WCCC HD-1 & HD-2 Hartford
107.7 WFCS New Britain
107.9 WEBE Westport

 

[almaniac27]

Are you using the antenna supplied with the radio? Usually those aren't very good. I have an indoor passive tuned loop with my Sony HD Radio and I can get good AM Dxing going. Sometimes I can get an HD signal, but usually the indicator just lights up and mutes the radio, which is very annoying. I've been able to lock an HD signal on a few stations. During the day in Cincinnati, I've gotten WLW (of course), WSAI, and WTVN out of Columbus (only locks on for a minute or two at a time). At night, I've gotten KDKA, WBZ, WLAC and WTAM several times. Once, KDKA's call letters came through but they were all messed up and read $-YN-FM. I took a picture of it because I thought it was funny. I guess the signal got lost in translation.

 

[DeadElvis]

Sure; HD DX is possible and does happen.

On AM, it's tough. There are a few clear channel (NOT the proper noun) stations within a few hundred miles I will get HD on from time-to-time. Those stations include WLAC, KMOX, WTAM, WOAI, etc. But, the difficulties inherent in AM make HD via skywave fleeting. AM HD is, frankly, a mess.

On the FM side, HD is less problematic. I, and many folks I know, have received HD via both tropo and sporadic-E. During one energetic opening, I heard several South Florida FMs with full HD and multi-channel. One odd thing about FM HD -- it is not hard to get analog from one station, and HD from another on the same channel at the same time.

Have fun with it!

Peter, N4LI
Memphis

 

[DJKraze]

I should have mentioned that for FM since it was a typical coax connector, I hooked up the multiple antenna system I use for my TV which is directed more towards Springfield. The AM loop is just trash, I tried it, got nearly nothing, I did a quick home-made loop to see what I could get and got those I listed before, I might try a few other things to see what happens.

I do wish certain stations would get the display information corrected though, I'm thinking specifically of one that has no information on the HD-2, I don't mind if a station alternates between a station ident/slogan and a track listing, but please give the track listing (I guess I got spoiled by Sat Radio)

 

[fybush]

On the FM side, HD is less problematic. I, and many folks I know, have received HD via both tropo and sporadic-E. During one energetic opening, I heard several South Florida FMs with full HD and multi-channel. One odd thing about FM HD -- it is not hard to get analog from one station, and HD from another on the same channel at the same time.

Which makes a great deal of sense, if you think about it - since they're not really on the same channel, after all!

 

[kc0ltv]

From northern Minnesota, I've decoded HD audio from KOA, KFAB, WSCR, WTSO, KFAN, WHO, and WHAS with my Sony XDR-F1HD and the included loop. KOA is the farthest of them at about 800 miles.

As for FM, using an APS-9B yagi and the XDR-F1HD, I can usually (at least in the warmer months) hear several of the Minneapolis - St. Paul market HD radio stations 124 miles away. The farthest FM HD by tropo I've had was Wausau, about 178 miles away; I've also gotten at least HD text from a station in Alabama.