Shortwave and AM DX Satuday morning 11/3

[ChuckTiller]

At 5AM CDT, I went outside to listen to my new Tecsun PL-660. The sky was clear. I got a good clean broadcast from Radio Australia on 9850 and 111945. There was a French language station on 11945. There were various Spanish language operations as well as several Christian ministry stations. All of these loud and clear. Around 6AM CDT, there were a few Asian stations as well. However, I could not tell where they originated. These were weak.

The AM band is not as good as my Radio Shack DX-390. (I have read reviews that are not favorable for AM broadcasts on this model) Nevertheless, I started at 520KHZ and moved up the dial, so to speak. In addition to the local Houston stations and KLVI 560 in neighboring Beaumont 90 miles east of Houston, I was able to hear these stations.

670 WSCR
680 KKYX
690 Spanish Unknown
710 KEEL fighting it out with another station
760 Unknown, this station was playing oldies. They played Peter and Gordon's "World Without Love," another one of their songs that I was not familiar with, followed by The Eagles, Hotel California. I came back 30 minutes later and it was Spanish
800 Very weak Spanish language, I assumed it was XEROK
820 WBAP
830 WCCO
840 WHAS (This was fighting with another signal, not mention local interference from 850 KEYH)
870 WWL, very weak. (Usually, I can get this a lot better on the DX-390.)
1030 KCTA Corpus Christi
1050 XEG Monterrey
1080 KRLD
1200 WOAI
1530 KGBT

Most of the other frequencies were a jumbled mess.

 

[crainbebo]

Radio Australia in English is on 11945. Are you sure it wasn't a different frequency for the French SW broadcast?

-crainbebo

 

[boombox]

At 5AM CDT, I went outside to listen to my new Tecsun PL-660. The sky was clear. I got a good clean broadcast from Radio Australia on 9850 and 111945. There was a French language station on 11945. There were various Spanish language operations as well as several Christian ministry stations. All of these loud and clear. Around 6AM CDT, there were a few Asian stations as well. However, I could not tell where they originated. These were weak.

If you were tuning through the 41 meter band, and the Asians were a guy or gal talking softly, sounding like they're reading poetry, and the music is soft and has piano (or similar) flourishes, it was probably China's CNR1.

 

[ChuckTiller]

Radio Australia in English is on 11945. Are you sure it wasn't a different frequency for the French SW broadcast?

-crainbebo

I was copying my notes. On the French language, I should have typed 15150. Radio Australia on 11945.

 

[crainbebo]

OK, the 15.150 would correspond with the Radio Romania International French broadcast, 300kw from Tiganesti (Romania). Nice catch...

-crainbebo

 

[Tincap]

Good catches there, Chuck.

If you're interested in finding out where the SW signals are transmitting from, here's a link to a nice SW data base, which I (and I'm sure lots of others here 8)) use ~> http://www.short-wave.info/index.php

~BG

 

[ChuckTiller]

Thanks, Tincup. I will use it. I went outside to sit on my patio, and used the telescopic antenna. I was getting away from the house and the computers and other electrical interfering appliances.The external loop antenna provided for shortwave added a lot of noise and I felt like it was useless. I took that same antenna and used it on my DX-390 and greatly improved the AM reception inside the house. If it isn't raining outside next weekend, I am taking the Dx-390 outside with the Tecsun antenna and see what kind of results I will have.

 

[kinphoenix2]

for IDing http://www.shortwaveschedule.com/index.php?now=true is also good, as it offers a KM distance to station from your location. with the Sackville transmitter gone the air is getting quieter and quieter. Soon maybe, nothing but Chinese stations. They know exactly what they are doing, sitting there biding their time while everyone ELSE shutters their transmitters. All for "lack of funding/listenership". If more people realized shortwave still existed.. well, my opinion and you know what they say about opinions!