JOUB 774 kHz Akita, Japan

[Ai4i]

Remember, between dusk in Akita (sounds like an exotic dog breed) and dawn in Sacramento (sounds like a state capitol with a huge train museum).

 

[MarioMania]

I'm not really a morning person, I try at night like around 1 am or 2 am

 

[boombox4]

Can a AM Loop Antenna help with the signal?

Yes, even a smaller loop like the Select-a-Tenna (or the Eton loop or the Radio Shack loops that used to be sold at Radio Shack -- roughly the same size and performance) will boost the signal by a couple DB. Often it can be enough to bring a 9 khz channel heterodyne up from the splatter, or help ID a distant station on a regular AM channel.

 

[boombox4]

I've heard differently from others but my personal experience is that my loop only helped with daytime reception when a station was very weak.

Didn't make a difference to me at all at night.

Maybe it would be different with some of those large loops people have made.

If you were using your PR-D5, it probably boosted the signals only by a DB or so, and it might not be enough to notice using the speakers. I can definitely tell with my PR-D5, the Select-A-Tenna boosts it by about a DB -- but a lot of times I really don't need a loop, the loop doesn't help as much on the PR-D5 as it does on other radios.

Also, the loop works best with mine when it's 5-6 inches from the side of the radio. Any closer, there's no help at all. Not sure why that is.

 

[boombox4]

Nice catch, Mario. I heard the splash from KKOB, but it wasn't too bad. A loop would pull up the JOUB signal a bit more. You'd still hear the splash, but it would be reduced.

I've never used SSB to try to ID a split station. I usually tune a bit further away from the offending local station. Like tune your Grundig to 775 or 776 khz (if it will tune in 1 khz increments).

 

[gar hi]

If you were using your PR-D5, it probably boosted the signals only by a DB or so, and it might not be enough to notice using the speakers. I can definitely tell with my PR-D5, the Select-A-Tenna boosts it by about a DB -- but a lot of times I really don't need a loop, the loop doesn't help as much on the PR-D5 as it does on other radios.

Also, the loop works best with mine when it's 5-6 inches from the side of the radio. Any closer, there's no help at all. Not sure why that is.

That makes sense because the PR-D5 has a 200 mm ferrite antenna.

I noticed a huge difference when using my Terk AM Advantage loop with my Sony SRF-M37W Walkman.

It could bring in an audible signal on a frequency that was completely empty without it. But that was daytime.

 

[jim-satx]

Mario, congrats to you and hawaiigar on this catch!