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Interesting DXing observations at Clearwater Beach

gar hi

gar hi

After wondering what it was I was hearing on 550 AM the other day at the beach, I decided to go back today so I could get another chance to see if I could hear an ID and determine if it could have been KTSA or not.

Being that Honeymoon Island in Dunedin (where I always go to) is always crowded on the weekend, I decided to try Clearwater Beach instead. It's a little more out of the way to drive but it's a cold gloomy day and I figured there wouldn't be many people there.

So I get there and set up my equipment. I checked 550 and all I could hear was the Cuban but when I nulled it out, I couldn't hear even a trace of that other mystery station I got in the video the other day up on Honeymoon Island, the video I posted on the AM 550 thread.

Since I went all that way, I figured I'd see how the other beach-only reception usuals were there.

WWL was there but not as good as it is at the other spot.

Same with WLNO. They were both fairly good and more than listenable but the difference in reception is weird.

800 WSHO that can be heard with a weak but listenable signal at Honeymoon Island was hardly there at all.

I could hear a weak KTRH behind WYGM on 740 but again, not as good as the other spot.

What I'm thinking is that maybe the difference in reception is because the barrier island Clearwater Beach is on is so built up that the sensitivity was not as good as on Honeymoon Island which is remote and just complete wilderness. It's farther out in the Gulf from the mainland too.

Could that explain it? Both locations are quite close to each other too.

So it was getting too cold with the wind after a while and I went back to the car. I decided to scan the car radio just to see if there was any difference in reception and I got a little surprise.

I was hearing a weak but very listenable skywave from 700 WLW and it was 1:15 in the afternoon. I assume it had to be them because what else could it be? There was a football game on. The signal wasn't fading either. I couldn't hear any of the other big northern stations either, just WLW.

So once I left and headed back, I checked 700 a couple of times when I was at stop lights back on the mainland and the signal was much weaker, too weak to even hear words. When I got back to Tampa, it was gone completely.

Weird.
 
Gar, isn't the Dothan AL 700 back on? How about the KSEV 700 in Houston suburb?

BTW what do you get in the day on 1600 besides WKWF? Is 1590 too much for it there? (Just wondering if you ever hear KLEB in La.)

cd
 
In all the times I've gone to the beach for DXing, I've completely overlooked KSEV 700. In searching for potential catches, I don't know how I missed that one.

The only thing is, I went to their website and did all kinds of searches and there's no mention of them broadcasting any NFL games unless they recently started and it's not listed yet but I doubt that's the case.

From researching, I can't confirm for sure the station from Dothan, Al is on the air again or not. Radio Locator says they are still off air but Wikipedia suggest otherwise and have an oldies format. They are only 1.6 kw though.

I guess I was getting WLW and the conditions for skywave reception were better near the Gulf than inland?

I didn't check out 1600 but the X band is pretty full with good signals with 1620 WNRP Gulf Breeze, 1640 WTNI Biloxi, Miss, and 1660 WCNZ Marco Island, all of which vanish once you get back on the mainland.
 
gar,

KSEV was likely airing Dave Ramsey when you tuned across 700 and they don't do NFL games. So that probably leaves only one possibility, the Bengals-Browns game on WLW.
 
WLW is definitely the voice of "da Bengals." Must be them. Wow, no fading, 1:15pm? Definitely December!

cd
 
So I guess even though that wasn't al all what I was looking for, getting WLW that early in the afternoon is a first for me.

Until now, the only midday skywaves I've ever heard (excluding the X band) were on the higher frequencies and up north too.

Getting one that low on the band, that good, and that far is a milestone for me. I just wonder why it was only WLW and none of the other big ones from up north. Not even a trace of WSM which is closer.
 
Maybe WLW has decided to fire up that 500kW transmitter from the 1930s again? :D

cd
 
The interesting thing is down where we are at the lower lattitudes, daytime skywaves in winter are not common as they are up north.

Down here, the only midday skywaves I've heard until today were above 1600 but also, it's not something I'm usually listening for either so it could happen more than it seems.

Cd, have you gotten these kind of daytime skywaves where you are?
 
I heard WTOP 1500 in DC at 3pm in Nassau Bahamas in Dec 2003, but outside of that, not really....I don't DX AM much anymore.

About 2 years ago from my home, there was a listenable signal on 1530 at 2pm. Thought to myself maybe WENG upgraded. Turned out to be WYMM in Jacksonville! However about 10 minutes later it was totally gone. I believe that the news mentioned some aurora activity. I sure couldn't explain it otherwise.

When I lived in Alaska, I recall hearing (I think) CFRN 1260 Edmonton at 3pm....of course the sun set around 3:30pm at that time of year! :)

cd
 
So your experience goes along with what I was saying, that daytime skywave isn't common here, especially on the lower frequencies.

I guess I witnessed a rare event. It never even occurred to me to get it on video either. Now I wish I had. Oh well.
 
Gar Fla,

You very well may have received WLW today. I was in Cincinnati at the time you mention and they were definitely carrying the Browns-Bengals game.

Just for your information, I have experienced Daytime (noon to 2 PM) AM skip in Central KY (Lexington) many times in past winters. Stations I've heard here include WBZ, WCBS, WPHT, WFAN, WTOP (when they were WTOP), WRVA, etc., all in broad daylight on my Bose radio in my Silverado pickup.
 
KR4BD said:
Gar Fla,

You very well may have received WLW today. I was in Cincinnati at the time you mention and they were definitely carrying the Browns-Bengals game.

Just for your information, I have experienced Daytime (noon to 2 PM) AM skip in Central KY (Lexington) many times in past winters. Stations I've heard here include WBZ, WCBS, WPHT, WFAN, WTOP (when they were WTOP), WRVA, etc., all in broad daylight on my Bose radio in my Silverado pickup.
Click to expand...

Same experience here in the Chicago area. In the 70s right around Christmas I heard WBZ, WABC, WCBS, WCAU, & WHAM around noon CST. It can happen in December around the solstice although much less common at your latitude in Florida.
 
With the great ground conductivity between there and KALL and considering their directional pattern, it sounds like that could very well be a groundwave which makes it even a more impressive catch.

What I'm now thinking is that maybe my hearing WLW when I did may not have so much to do with being near the Gulf but that it could have been a brief time where the skywave was right and the reason I couldn't hear it after leaving the beach and back in Tampa was because the conditions went away.

Perhaps if I had been listening here in Tampa at 1:15, I could have heard it too.

Now, it's like a whole new mission to catch such distant midday skywaves here during this time of year when the opportunity won't last long.
 
Daytime winter DX is also common here in SE WI. In recent days, I've heard KTRS, WSM, WLW, WTAM & I think what might be KDKA (around the splatter from WNVR). The graveyard channels have some DX, too.
 
tfcwings said:
At about 12:13pm, I heard on 700 what I believe is KALL North Salt Lake City, UT
Click to expand...

Looking at the station's website and considering the possibilities, it looks like you probably heard KALL. The voice on the clip sure sounds like Dan Patrick to me.
 
dxer720 said:
Daytime winter DX is also common here in SE WI. In recent days, I've heard KTRS, WSM, WLW, WTAM & I think what might be KDKA (around the splatter from WNVR). The graveyard channels have some DX, too.
Click to expand...

KTRS comes into my location about 30 miles north of Chicago durning the day strictly ground wave.
 
radioman148 said:
dxer720 said:
Daytime winter DX is also common here in SE WI. In recent days, I've heard KTRS, WSM, WLW, WTAM & I think what might be KDKA (around the splatter from WNVR). The graveyard channels have some DX, too.
Click to expand...

KTRS comes into my location about 30 miles north of Chicago durning the day strictly ground wave.
Click to expand...

I second that. Low end of the band, over favorable ground conductivity makes 5000 watts go a long way. Tellingly, KMOX's groundwave is tougher to get up here than that of KTRS but their skywave is far, far stronger. One of the strongest on the band in this area.

The next few days are about the best opportunities that we'll have all year to catch daytime skywave. Especially in more northerly latitudes where the sun is lower. Had skywave all day long in Alberta during December 2008.
 
Since all the clear channel frequencies are occupied by either Cubans or stations within the state during the day here except 700, I think I'll set getting WLW as my primary daytime goal for this time of year.

Since I work at home, I can set my radio to 700 in the background and leave the volume low so I don't miss a chance.
 
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