Q: to USA FM DXers

[dxer2_2000]

Hi

Any of you DXers in the US ever logged a US or Canadian FM that was on an unusual FM channel?

Eg - here in Australia we generally use 200khz spacing just like the US, however I have heard a few stations via skip on unusual freq like 106.8, 105.0, 99.0, 105.85 (50khz off 105.9!).

NB: These are Aussie FMs - NOT counting Pacific/NZ stations which use even number Freqs on a regular basis.

dxer2_2000

 

[PhilJSmith67]

> Hi
>
> Any of you DXers in the US ever logged a US or Canadian FM
> that was on an unusual FM channel?
>
> Eg - here in Australia we generally use 200khz spacing just
> like the US, however I have heard a few stations via skip on
> unusual freq like 106.8, 105.0, 99.0, 105.85 (50khz off
> 105.9!).
>
> NB: These are Aussie FMs - NOT counting Pacific/NZ stations
> which use even number Freqs on a regular basis.
>
> dxer2_2000
>

The US, Canada, and Mexico stick to the 200kHz channel plan with no exceptions. Perhaps someone can chime in as to if this is generally followed in Central and South America, as well. Frequencies in the US range from 88.1 (channel 201) to 107.9 (channel 300), although there are two non-commercial stations that are legitimately licensed to operate on 87.9 (channel 200). Even "pirate" broadcasters seem to stick to the odd-tenths; perhaps they know that many receivers sold in the US are hardwired for that channel plan.

I picked up all sorts of stations in the UK and Italy on 100kHz alignments, and some countries use 150kHz spacing. I have never been fortunate enough in the Chicago area to catch a European station via DX.

 

[clichemoth]

> > Hi
> >
> > Any of you DXers in the US ever logged a US or Canadian FM
>
> > that was on an unusual FM channel?
> >
> > Eg - here in Australia we generally use 200khz spacing
> just
> > like the US, however I have heard a few stations via skip
> on
> > unusual freq like 106.8, 105.0, 99.0, 105.85 (50khz off
> > 105.9!).
> >
> > NB: These are Aussie FMs - NOT counting Pacific/NZ
> stations
> > which use even number Freqs on a regular basis.
> >
> > dxer2_2000
> >
>
> The US, Canada, and Mexico stick to the 200kHz channel plan
> with no exceptions. Perhaps someone can chime in as to if
> this is generally followed in Central and South America, as
> well. Frequencies in the US range from 88.1 (channel 201)
> to 107.9 (channel 300), although there are two
> non-commercial stations that are legitimately licensed to
> operate on 87.9 (channel 200). Even "pirate" broadcasters
> seem to stick to the odd-tenths; perhaps they know that many
> receivers sold in the US are hardwired for that channel
> plan.
>
> I picked up all sorts of stations in the UK and Italy on
> 100kHz alignments, and some countries use 150kHz spacing. I
> have never been fortunate enough in the Chicago area to
> catch a European station via DX.

AFAIK, all nations in the Americas besides Greenland use the 200khz odd channel spacing. Greenland uses 500khz spacing at .0 and .5

And I'm surprised pirates don't utilize the even tenths more often. The vast majority of radios in use have either analog tuners or digital tuners that can be tuned in 50khz increments, so people could still receive them.


>

 

[dave73]

> > I picked up all sorts of stations in the UK and Italy on
> > 100kHz alignments, and some countries use 150kHz spacing.
> I
> > have never been fortunate enough in the Chicago area to
> > catch a European station via DX.
>
> AFAIK, all nations in the Americas besides Greenland use the
> 200khz odd channel spacing. Greenland uses 500khz spacing
> at .0 and .5
>
> And I'm surprised pirates don't utilize the even tenths more
> often. The vast majority of radios in use have either
> analog tuners or digital tuners that can be tuned in 50khz
> increments, so people could still receive them.
>
I have 2 radios, 1 Emerson & a Memorex CD walkman radio with a digital tuner that tunes in tenths, so it could pickup stations that might broadcast on the even frequencies.

 

[PhilJSmith67]

> > > I picked up all sorts of stations in the UK and Italy on
>
> > > 100kHz alignments, and some countries use 150kHz
> spacing.
> > I
> > > have never been fortunate enough in the Chicago area to
> > > catch a European station via DX.
> >
> > AFAIK, all nations in the Americas besides Greenland use
> the
> > 200khz odd channel spacing. Greenland uses 500khz spacing
>
> > at .0 and .5
> >
> > And I'm surprised pirates don't utilize the even tenths
> more
> > often. The vast majority of radios in use have either
> > analog tuners or digital tuners that can be tuned in 50khz
>
> > increments, so people could still receive them.
> >
> I have 2 radios, 1 Emerson & a Memorex CD walkman radio with
> a digital tuner that tunes in tenths, so it could pickup
> stations that might broadcast on the even frequencies.

A sizeable percentage of stock car radios in the United States tune odd-tenths only. Some are installed that way but can be switched to "World" or "European" mode by holding keys while turning on the unit, keying a sequence of buttons, etc. My wife's new Nissan tunes only odd-tenths and is not user-configurable. However, I have found very few home receivers that only tune in 200kHz increments. Every home receiver I own tunes in either 100 or 50kHz increments.