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Snow DX time
- Thread starter Icangelp
- Start date
So what do DXers like me do in locations where we don't get snow, like San Diego, CA?
tfcwings said:
Pray for snow ;D
I guess I could take consolation that at my location in summer it's possible for 500 watts to go ~195 miles on 1290 kHz, and still have enough signal to be able to ID the station if I'm listening at TOH. (That was recorded in my back yard at around 3:24pm on July 20 on my Tecsun PL-380. The first half was aided by the Select-A-Tenna, and the 2nd half was using only the stock loopstick.) Distance and heading to/from the station is 194.89 mi (313.65 km), 306.74° (reverse 125.22°).
I think during the blizzard of 1978 I picked up WBAP 820 Ft Worth TX nr Boston
tfcwings said:
And only a 500 w station.
Excellent catch!
You and I may not ever have snow but we have saltwater and all year too.
A 1 kw station at 465 miles daytime...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djAgueBwbt0
Speaking of snow and the winter, Ive always wondered if road salt has any effect on groundwave or if its just the shorter days making the signals sound stronger.
In the perfect situation where you are in one city that has salted roads leading to another and the salt has been dissolved in water on the road. The road, preferebly something large like an interstate links your city and the city you are trying to recieve a station from. Im not sure if this salted road path would be enough to enhance groundwave.
In the perfect situation where you are in one city that has salted roads leading to another and the salt has been dissolved in water on the road. The road, preferebly something large like an interstate links your city and the city you are trying to recieve a station from. Im not sure if this salted road path would be enough to enhance groundwave.
gar fla said:tfcwings said:
And only a 500 w station.
Excellent catch!
You and I may not ever have snow but we have saltwater and all year too.
A 1 kw station at 465 miles daytime...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djAgueBwbt0
Yes, that saltwater makes a HUGE difference in ground conductivity!
Co-channel KKDD San Bernardino, a Radio Disney station, is 5kW and 53.98 km (95.68 miles) distant at a bearing of 349.97° (reverse 169.80°.) It is for all intents and purposes unreadable, in spite of being about half the distance and 10 times the power, and me being near one of the directional pattern's lobes. KZSB just dominates the frequency during daylight hours here (well except for the not-very-strong signal, of course). It may be possible to detect a trace of KKDD, though - if not by audio, then by the slightly off-frequency carrier beating with KZSB. Last I remember checking, KKDD was at best as strong in KZSB's null with the Select-A-Tenna as KZSB is using only the stock ferrite loopstick when it's not nulled.
The distance inland from the saltwater makes a big difference, though. The recording of KZSB was made about 16-18 miles east of the coast. The 2nd half is what it sounds like on the barefoot PL-380 at home, and the 1st half (which was recorded with the SAT), is comparable to the signal level within a mile of the beach using the built-in loopstick. Going inland to Cameron Corners, CA, reveals signals that are either of comparable strength, or more likely (iirc) KKDD on top.
I bet if you were to go set up your DXing equipment right on the beach around San Diego, it would be quite a noticable difference from where you are inland with your reception of many stations.
Most of the stations I can only get at the beach here from the gulf coast vanish as soon as I go a little ways inland except for WWL and WLNO which are still slightly audible here in Tampa. THey are both 50 kw.
For some reason, I also notice the Miami stations, WYGM Orlando, and some other stations that are from inland have better signals out at the beach here even though they are coming from the land and are at greater distances too. I've never been able to figure that one out.
Maybe it's just the fact that it's away from all the city interference?
Most of the stations I can only get at the beach here from the gulf coast vanish as soon as I go a little ways inland except for WWL and WLNO which are still slightly audible here in Tampa. THey are both 50 kw.
For some reason, I also notice the Miami stations, WYGM Orlando, and some other stations that are from inland have better signals out at the beach here even though they are coming from the land and are at greater distances too. I've never been able to figure that one out.
Maybe it's just the fact that it's away from all the city interference?
gar fla said:
Actually, in my case, going to the beach would take me closer to the main city area of San Diego, depending on where I go. If I go south, I got mexican stations to contend with, like 77kW 690-XEWW, 50kW(? - could be 20k idk) 950-XEKAM, 50kW 1090-XEPRS, as well as aa host of lesser power stations. If I go north, then there's 640-KFI, 710-KSPN, 740-KBRT, and 1070-KNX, which are 50kW except for KBRT's 10kW. There are other 50kW signals, like 830-KLAA, 870-KRLA(?), 1020-KTNQ, 1110-KDIS, 1150-KTLK, but their directional patterns or inland transmitter sites make them not as pesky.
On the other hand, though, inland where I am is where several local transmitter sites are nearby. I have 5kW 600-KOGO at 7.7 mi, 5kW (50k night) 760-KFMB at 7.3 mi, 5kW 910-KECR at 9.3mi, 10kW 1130-KSDO at 6.3mi, 50kW (2.9k night) 1170-KCBQ diplexing with KECR (KCBQ reads 78/25 daytime on the stock Grundig G8), and 5kw (1k night) 1360-KLSD at 8.3mi. All of those are within 10 miles of home.
With all the crowding, desense, etc, I almost wonder if my chance of DX would be better if I went inland to the desert, away from the clutter. A couple daytime trips to Cameron Corners, CA, seem to lead me to believe that. There are stations I hear there better than at home or on the beach, even though the dBu signal strength indicates much lower. One of those is 1110-KDIS - at home it's about 41dBu RSSI, 0dB SNR, and in Cameron Corners it's 15/10 or so.
I would say move, but no DX is worth swapping palm trees for snow!tfcwings said:
Got out at lunch and caught a little noontime snow/winter DX while driving. My business is on the eastern side of greater Cincinnati very much away from all the tall buildings and dense suburban housing.
WTAM Cleveland was in and out, as was 540 Canonsburg PA, 640 Akron OH, 570 Youngstown OH, 850 Cleveland & 800 Huntington WV. 790 Louisville was uncharacteristically strong.
The only good thing about winter in the midwest is the DX'ing.
WTAM Cleveland was in and out, as was 540 Canonsburg PA, 640 Akron OH, 570 Youngstown OH, 850 Cleveland & 800 Huntington WV. 790 Louisville was uncharacteristically strong.
The only good thing about winter in the midwest is the DX'ing.
Icangelp said:
Can you get WTAM during the day during the warm weather months?
I can't at home as I live on the west side of Cincy, and there is city and urban sprawl between me and WTAM.
I don't recall ever regularly hearing WTAM on my vehicle radio during summer or winter day hours. Work is on the east side, and should give a better groundwave opportunity for reception, but nothing on 1100.
There is one other obstacle, and that 1100 is a multple of 550, and WKRC does punch through 1100 in areas within several miles of their transmitter in NKY.
I don't recall ever regularly hearing WTAM on my vehicle radio during summer or winter day hours. Work is on the east side, and should give a better groundwave opportunity for reception, but nothing on 1100.
There is one other obstacle, and that 1100 is a multple of 550, and WKRC does punch through 1100 in areas within several miles of their transmitter in NKY.
Icangelp said:
Can you get the Chicago 50KWs on the east side at all during the day?
If so is reception better during the winter months? I would assume it is better west side or east side.
Today a band of snow passed north of me--it was almost noon at that time. The snow may have enhanced the receptions of some distant AM stations. (I didn't get any snow) The AMs to the north of me that are usually weak during the day where stronger at that time. WRNR 740 in Martinsburg, WV, 500W days and 40 miles NW of me was stronger than usual; WWII 720 up near Harrisburg, PA is usually very weak, and today it was not as weak.
Here, of course we don't have snow that often, but the colder it gets in the winter, the better signals are. Today, with temps in the upper 30s, WBT was in all day weakly. WSB is in often during the winter all day, but WPTF is overridden by WOKV.
Also, 1670 from Macon, GA comes in very early in the afternoon, and WAGL, the 50kw from Lancaster, usually is weak, but on colder days, it can be almost as clear as a bell. WBAL and 1500 Washington come in before 3:30 (with sunset around 5:15), and so does WCBS. By about 4:00 or so, most of the clears are in.
I usually get reliable clear service all the way to 7 in the morning, sometimes 7:30. The better the radio, the more enhancement you get.
WHAM from Rochester even comes in, even though it cannot be heard here at night and is beaten up by Cubans and Radio Marti.
Also, 1670 from Macon, GA comes in very early in the afternoon, and WAGL, the 50kw from Lancaster, usually is weak, but on colder days, it can be almost as clear as a bell. WBAL and 1500 Washington come in before 3:30 (with sunset around 5:15), and so does WCBS. By about 4:00 or so, most of the clears are in.
I usually get reliable clear service all the way to 7 in the morning, sometimes 7:30. The better the radio, the more enhancement you get.
WHAM from Rochester even comes in, even though it cannot be heard here at night and is beaten up by Cubans and Radio Marti.
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