North Slope radio

[PAJake]

I'm taking a trip up to the slope next week - stopping in a few different villages - and was wondering if it's worth bringing my better radio up there to try and pull in DX signals. Anyone try this north of the Circle?

 

[radioman148]

I'm taking a trip up to the slope next week - stopping in a few different villages - and was wondering if it's worth bringing my better radio up there to try and pull in DX signals. Anyone try this north of the Circle?

Is there enough darkness this time of year to DX up there?

 

[PAJake]

That's actually part of my question as well, though the sun is starting to go down this time of year up there.

 

[radioman148]

That's actually part of my question as well, though the sun is starting to go down this time of year up there.

It looks to me like you may get a few hours to try. Please let us know what you hear.

 

[PAJake]

I'll be heading north next Monday, radio in tow. I'll post the signal test results.

 

[radioman148]

I'll be heading north next Monday, radio in tow. I'll post the signal test results.

Thanks--look forward to it.

 

[PAJake]

I'm posting this from the airport in Fairbanks, since I have plenty of time before my flight leaves for Anchorage. I'm heading back from Anaktuvuk Pass. For those unfamiliar, it's a remote Native village located about 250 miles northwest of Fairbanks above the Arctic Circle, and above the tree line, about 60 miles west of the Haul Road, in the mountains of the Brooks Range. There are no roads in or out of AKP, though they do have a nice sized newly upgraded airstrip. Sunset was around 10:10, but there was still a bit of light in the western skies after midnight.

As promised, here is a radio reception report from the Village:

First, FM. . . The village has two low power translators, one rebroadcasts KBRW (public radio) from Barrow on 101.5 (with a lot of Inupiat language programming), the other rebroadcasting KYKD, a religious station out of Bethel, on 94.3. I'm not much into either type of format, and I don't speak any Inupiat, so I moved on to AM.

I picked up the following stations:
660. . .KFAR from Fairbanks - in and out for a while but clearer as the sun finally went down. News/Talk format with Foxnews cut-ins.
900. . .not 100% sure of this. WRTH says 900 is KZPA from Ft. Yukon, which makes sense distance-ly speaking, though I could have sworn they said KSKO, which is out of McGrath, too far away. Perhaps it was a cherrypicked program with a mistaken ID call, though it's quality was barely audible, so who knows?
970. . .KFBX from Fairbanks. . .came in fairly good, which was unfortunate because they were airing Coast to Coast, which I hate.
1170. . .KJNP out of North Pole. . .ok signal, religious programming. . .I'm told this station has FM translators throughout the Slope and down towards Tok.
1430. . .I was picking up something on this freq but can't find anything anywhere about it. I could hear faint sounds of old-school and classic country-type music. There are no listed stations on 1430 in AK, BC or Yukon. The only nighttime 50,000 watter I could find on 1430 is in Toronto, and it's doubtful I heard that.
1450. . .KLAM out of Cordova - a good 600 miles away over two mountain ranges. . .pretty good catch considering their relatively low power. . .clear too, playing some good classic rock and 70's tunes mixed with a bit of country rock.

Finally, I'll add that I've never met a friendlier, more welcoming group of people in all my travels, and I've been all over. Only about 350 people live in Anaktuvuk Pass, inland Inupiaqs with a somewhat nomadic history until 50 years ago. This was my first time north of the Circle, and I very much enjoyed the people and the scenery. I hope to be back there soon.

 

[radioman148]

I'm posting this from the airport in Fairbanks, since I have plenty of time before my flight leaves for Anchorage. I'm heading back from Anaktuvuk Pass. For those unfamiliar, it's a remote Native village located about 250 miles northwest of Fairbanks above the Arctic Circle, and above the tree line, about 60 miles west of the Haul Road, in the mountains of the Brooks Range. There are no roads in or out of AKP, though they do have a nice sized newly upgraded airstrip. Sunset was around 10:10, but there was still a bit of light in the western skies after midnight.

As promised, here is a radio reception report from the Village:

First, FM. . . The village has two low power translators, one rebroadcasts KBRW (public radio) from Barrow on 101.5 (with a lot of Inupiat language programming), the other rebroadcasting KYKD, a religious station out of Bethel, on 94.3. I'm not much into either type of format, and I don't speak any Inupiat, so I moved on to AM.

I picked up the following stations:
660. . .KFAR from Fairbanks - in and out for a while but clearer as the sun finally went down. News/Talk format with Foxnews cut-ins.
900. . .not 100% sure of this. WRTH says 900 is KZPA from Ft. Yukon, which makes sense distance-ly speaking, though I could have sworn they said KSKO, which is out of McGrath, too far away. Perhaps it was a cherrypicked program with a mistaken ID call, though it's quality was barely audible, so who knows?
970. . .KFBX from Fairbanks. . .came in fairly good, which was unfortunate because they were airing Coast to Coast, which I hate.
1170. . .KJNP out of North Pole. . .ok signal, religious programming. . .I'm told this station has FM translators throughout the Slope and down towards Tok.
1430. . .I was picking up something on this freq but can't find anything anywhere about it. I could hear faint sounds of old-school and classic country-type music. There are no listed stations on 1430 in AK, BC or Yukon. The only nighttime 50,000 watter I could find on 1430 is in Toronto, and it's doubtful I heard that.
1450. . .KLAM out of Cordova - a good 600 miles away over two mountain ranges. . .pretty good catch considering their relatively low power. . .clear too, playing some good classic rock and 70's tunes mixed with a bit of country rock.

Finally, I'll add that I've never met a friendlier, more welcoming group of people in all my travels, and I've been all over. Only about 350 people live in Anaktuvuk Pass, inland Inupiaqs with a somewhat nomadic history until 50 years ago. This was my first time north of the Circle, and I very much enjoyed the people and the scenery. I hope to be back there soon.

Thanks very much for the report. Are you going to be spending anymore time in Alaska, and if so will you get a chance to try an DX the lower 48?

 

[PAJake]

Well I live in Anchorage - been here for just over two years now - and I've done a lot of DXing since arriving here. You can find the reports on this site under different DX topics. Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco (where my sister lives, which is kinda neat for me) are often easy pickups from the lower 48 for me, and Denver has come in more than once. I did a lot more DXing when I lived back east, mostly in PA but also the six years I lived in MA - AK offers only so much possibilities of far-away signal reception.

This was my first trip to the Alaskan Arctic (I've been to northern Yukon) and it was amazing - too short but like nothing I've ever seen. I wanted to try my radio's shortwave features while up north but without a wire, after more than 10 years of heavy use and nationwide travel, it just doesn't work as well as it used to.

 

[radioman148]

Well I live in Anchorage - been here for just over two years now - and I've done a lot of DXing since arriving here. You can find the reports on this site under different DX topics. Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco (where my sister lives, which is kinda neat for me) are often easy pickups from the lower 48 for me, and Denver has come in more than once. I did a lot more DXing when I lived back east, mostly in PA but also the six years I lived in MA - AK offers only so much possibilities of far-away signal reception.

This was my first trip to the Alaskan Arctic (I've been to northern Yukon) and it was amazing - too short but like nothing I've ever seen. I wanted to try my radio's shortwave features while up north but without a wire, after more than 10 years of heavy use and nationwide travel, it just doesn't work as well as it used to.

I didn't realize you lived in Alaska. I've been there once--simply beautiful, but I've never been north of Fairbanks.
Have you ever DXed anything east of the Rockies from Anchorage?

 

[PAJake]

I haven't picked up any signal east of the Rockies except KOA from Denver twice (barely audible). It's pretty rare for signals originating from that side of the mountains to reach up here but it does happen occasionally. Others here have picked up a signal or two. . .they've posted in other DX topics under Alaska Radio. Going east, I've picked up a signal from Japan more than once.

You should try to get up here soon. Tourism is way down this year, so crowds are small and prices are good. They say next year will be the same so plan a trip for 2010.

I first came to Alaska in 2006 on vacation - drove from PA with a friend of mine. A year later I was living here. I thought my story of packing up everything I could fit in my truck and heading to AK with my old dog was a good one. I have since found that from pre-statehood days until today, many non-Native Alaskans arrived here in similar fashion.

 

[radioman148]

I haven't picked up any signal east of the Rockies except KOA from Denver twice (barely audible). It's pretty rare for signals originating from that side of the mountains to reach up here but it does happen occasionally. Others here have picked up a signal or two. . .they've posted in other DX topics under Alaska Radio. Going east, I've picked up a signal from Japan more than once.

You should try to get up here soon. Tourism is way down this year, so crowds are small and prices are good. They say next year will be the same so plan a trip for 2010.

I first came to Alaska in 2006 on vacation - drove from PA with a friend of mine. A year later I was living here. I thought my story of packing up everything I could fit in my truck and heading to AK with my old dog was a good one. I have since found that from pre-statehood days until today, many non-Native Alaskans arrived here in similar fashion.

I've heard of WBZ being heard in Alaska. That would be one helluva catch.
How do you feel about the Alaskan winters? I know they're not nearly as severe in Anchorage as the interior.

 

[PAJake]

WBZ! I lived in Boston back in the 90s. I miss that station, wish I could hear it up here. That would be a prime catch.

Winters are great here. I prefer it here over New England or PA (where I grew up). Drier snow here, more of it too, but it never turns to slush until temps rise with the coming of breakup in the spring. I've been caught in blizzards out in western Alaska which, as weather goes, was as brutal as I've ever experienced. They tell me up north where I just visited that they get less snow than Anchorage but the wind is ferocious and temps dive to 50-60 below. Windchill hit 80 below this past winter.

Where you from radioman?

 

[radioman148]

WBZ! I lived in Boston back in the 90s. I miss that station, wish I could hear it up here. That would be a prime catch.

Winters are great here. I prefer it here over New England or PA (where I grew up). Drier snow here, more of it too, but it never turns to slush until temps rise with the coming of breakup in the spring. I've been caught in blizzards out in western Alaska which, as weather goes, was as brutal as I've ever experienced. They tell me up north where I just visited that they get less snow than Anchorage but the wind is ferocious and temps dive to 50-60 below. Windchill hit 80 below this past winter.

Where you from radioman?

I live in the Chicago area--have been there all my life. As I mentioned earlier I enjoyed my trip to Alaska in August of 2006. I'd love to return in the future. In fact one of my goals is to hopefully catch the midnight sun baseball game in Fairbanks played every June 21, I'd also like to visit Dinali National Park.
BTW Jake, you can listen to WBZ's webstream at http://www.wbz.com/pages/113018.php

 

[PAJake]

It's funny you mention the baseball game. When I came to Alaska for the first time, it was by car from Pennsylvania, in 2006, and we pulled into Fairbanks just in time for the game that summer. In fact, we entered Fairbanks, asked where the game was, and parked the car there. So that game was the very first thing I ever did in Alaska.

I've listened to WBZ and other East Coast stations online, but it's just not the same. I'm not a fan of internet radio as radio. I'll listen to it at work for the music or news updates, but as a source of audio entertainment I'd just as soon stick with my local stations.

Oh and as for Chicago - great town. Stopped there both times I drove to Alaska, and used to have a girlfriend who moved there, so I've visited several times. And Chicago radio came in nice and clear in Central PA at night, which was fun to listen to.

 

[radioman148]

It's funny you mention the baseball game. When I came to Alaska for the first time, it was by car from Pennsylvania, in 2006, and we pulled into Fairbanks just in time for the game that summer. In fact, we entered Fairbanks, asked where the game was, and parked the car there. So that game was the very first thing I ever did in Alaska.

I've listened to WBZ and other East Coast stations online, but it's just not the same. I'm not a fan of internet radio as radio. I'll listen to it at work for the music or news updates, but as a source of audio entertainment I'd just as soon stick with my local stations.

Oh and as for Chicago - great town. Stopped there both times I drove to Alaska, and used to have a girlfriend who moved there, so I've visited several times. And Chicago radio came in nice and clear in Central PA at night, which was fun to listen to.

Ironic that the first thing you did in Alaska was the ballgame as it's only played one day a year--June 21.
Does the sun actually set in Fairbanks that day. I imagine even if it does that it never gets totally dark on June 21.

 

[AZJoe]

Baseball is NOT played only one day a year in Alaska. The Alaska Baseball league(affiliated with National Baseball Congress) has a full schedule of games with the teams in Alaska( Kenai Pennisula Oilers, Anchorage Pilots, Anchorage Bucs, Mat Valley Miners, Fairbanks Gold Panners and AIA) and bringing up outside teams all summer long. http://www.alaskabaseballleague.org/

 

[oaktree]

A fascinating visit to eavesdrop upon between you two. Very nice! I hope you will keep us posted here in the lower 48 (I am in Central California on the coast in San Luis Obispo.)

I wonder how the effect of the Northern Lights has on radio up in Alaska. Have you ever DXed from there during those times?

And with my son at DePaul in Chicago, Radioman, thank you for your input and great questions. Best wishes to you in Alaska. My regards to Sarah. Wonder if she'd be a dx'er now that she's not governor ... LOL.

 

[PAJake]

That Midnight Baseball game was fun. Fairbanks has a lot of events held that day, as does Anchorage. Fairbanks is south of the Arctic Circle so the sun does still officially set, but being so far north it never gets totally dark that time of year. If I remember right, the sun is officially up for about two hours on June 21st, but less than four hours of sunlight six months later. Still, with 22 hours of official summer sunlight, there is essentially 24 hours of useable light. Even here in Anchorage it doesn't get totally pitch black in the weeks leading up to and after Summer Solstice. Even now, end of August, sunrise today in Anchorage was at 6:45 am and sunset is at 9:15 tonight. Above the Circle, like the village I just visited, they do have 24 hour periods of actual daylight in summer and, likewise, darkness in winter.

We didn't plan on going to the baseball game back in June 2006. When we entered Alaska at the much less traveled northern border crossing where the Taylor Hwy begins (on the way in from Dawson City and the Arctic in the Yukon) the customs agent, clearly very bored and in need of someone to talk to, spent a half hour discussing things to do in Fairbanks. He mentioned the game and we did our best to get there in time to see it. (We also ate at the most northern Denny's in the world in Fairbanks, at 1am, the sun still shining, then, after covering the truck's windows to block out the light, slept in the parking lot of Pioneer Park.) That trip was my first experience with extended daylight hours, very strange for someone new to the far northern latitudes. I'm more used to it now, though it's still a bit odd having bright sunshine at 11:30 pm in summer or darkness at 4pm in winter.

 

[radioman148]

Baseball is NOT played only one day a year in Alaska. The Alaska Baseball league(affiliated with National Baseball Congress) has a full schedule of games with the teams in Alaska( Kenai Pennisula Oilers, Anchorage Pilots, Anchorage Bucs, Mat Valley Miners, Fairbanks Gold Panners and AIA) and bringing up outside teams all summer long. http://www.alaskabaseballleague.org/

I know that. I was just talking specifically about the famous "Midnight Sun Game" played in Fairbanks.