Japan in Alaska

[HudsonValley1967]

A number of years ago I spoke to a ham radio operator in Alaska. He said that he would drive his kids down a dirt road for 10 miles to a School Bus Stop. The ride with the kids was before local sun-rise. On his car radio he would listen to Japan Radio stations on AM. Is this common
in Alaska? I know the night-time reach of WLS is fishing-boats in the Gulf of Alaska, but that does not stop KBBI Homer, AK from operating on the same frequency (KBBI is 10KW non-directional at night). I guess when you are more then 2800 miles apart on 890 KHz, co-channel is not a problem.

 

[radioman148]

A number of years ago I spoke to a ham radio operator in Alaska. He said that he would drive his kids down a dirt road for 10 miles to a School Bus Stop. The ride with the kids was before local sun-rise. On his car radio he would listen to Japan Radio stations on AM. Is this common
in Alaska? I know the night-time reach of WLS is fishing-boats in the Gulf of Alaska, but that does not stop KBBI Homer, AK from operating on the same frequency (KBBI is 10KW non-directional at night). I guess when you are more then 2800 miles apart on 890 KHz, co-channel is not a problem.

I'm sure it's quite common in Alaska to hear Japan, especially in winter. When I was in Hawaii, Japan was an easy catch. Also heard WLS in Hawaii many years ago. Don't know if it's still possible with all the clutter on the the AM band.

 

[crainbebo]

890 would also have problems with CJDC and KDXU.

-crainbebo

 

[cd637299]

You have to be at the right place at the right time, but yes I received a QSL card from JOKR AM 954 Tokyo when I was stationed at Elmendorf AFB in '79. I heard US pop, and as I have no idea of Japanese, I wrote a letter to them in English with the names of the songs I heard. As I remember, they replied rather quickly, maybe a 2-week wait. Oh, and yes, it was a cold winter night maybe in January!!

Also I heard three AM's deep into the night with English, yet what sounded like split frequencies. On an analog radio in a place where few stations are, it is hard to tell.) As I recall, World Radio TV Handbook had NHK stations in English for 1 or 2 hours a day, during the time I heard them. I couldn't see why they weren't NHK. One freq listed on W.R.T.H. was 774.

cd

 

[tomservo]

I understand that many Japanese AM stations still broadcast in C-QUAM stereo. Has anyone every tried for stereo reception from Alaska?

 

[crainbebo]

One freq listed on W.R.T.H. was 774.
cd

That is JOUB, Akita. Right now they do NHK-2, and I've heard this 300kw blaster in Western Washington before. Probably the most common Trans-Pacific reception here is on 774.

-crainbebo

 

[Darth_vader]

I've tried for JOUB here a few times. Basically, KXL's upper sideband and KKOH (only six kilohertz up) walk on it enough that it's pretty much inaudible.

I think I really need to be at the coast to do any serious trans-pacific MW DX. There's just too much RF noise pollution around here from the local blowtorches.

 

[HudsonValley1967]

Thanks for feed-back. English speaking radio in Japan was big time when I was working there for ITOCHU. The English language station was Armed Forces Radio Tokyo on 810KHz. The salary-men I was with on a Japan business trip said they learned converstational English by listening to that station. I wonder if 810KHz Tokyo ever had a signal copied in the mainland U.S..

 

[cd637299]

Thanks for feed-back. English speaking radio in Japan was big time when I was working there for ITOCHU. The English language station was Armed Forces Radio Tokyo on 810KHz. The salary-men I was with on a Japan business trip said they learned converstational English by listening to that station. I wonder if 810KHz Tokyo ever had a signal copied in the mainland U.S..

That sure wouldn't be an easy trick, for KGO 810 in SF has a night pattern up and down the west coast!

I just looked to see that indeed KGO was logged by me in them thar days in AK.

I was once able to borrow a Hallicrafters SW receiver from an NCO during my tour, while he was on vacation or something.....I did hear the SW relay of the Tokyo 810 AFN (6155 kHz?), and it was interesting to hear; but nope, no AFN on 810 for me.

cd

 

[boombox]

Thanks for feed-back. English speaking radio in Japan was big time when I was working there for ITOCHU. The English language station was Armed Forces Radio Tokyo on 810KHz. The salary-men I was with on a Japan business trip said they learned converstational English by listening to that station. I wonder if 810KHz Tokyo ever had a signal copied in the mainland U.S..

Not on MW here, but as CD mentioned, they had a shortwave relay of Radio 810 which was on 49 meters in the late 70's. It was somewhere near 6000 khz., not too far from R. Australia's frequency. I heard that one a few times. They had a pop music show and DJs. IDed sometimes as FEN, for "Far East Network".