The best state/province to live in for DX'ing N.A. MW stations.

[FreddyE1977]

I always found Michigan to be particularly good for AM DXing. Particularly
in the daytime. Since you can't take a walk in the woods there without the
risk of sinking into muck up to your mid-calf, as you can imagine the ground
connectivity rocks!

 

[davideduardo]

If California bites, then why is just about every single 10kHz channel occupied at night from about 530-1700 here about 12 miles east of San Diego, CA? (The only channels that may not be occupied are the ones immediately surrounding some nearly-impossible-to-null ultra-strong locals.)

I can go to Lago Agrio in the Amazon headwaters in the Ecuadorian jungle to the east of the Andes, and hear stations on every frequency, along with occasional Africans and such. Many signals from the US, too.

It's easy to find a signal or several on every channel. What is not easy is to be able to work around the locals and semi-locals (Phoenix stations are semi-locals for a SoCal DXer) to get true DX reception. Try getting Maryland or Delaware from San Diego. Everything is blocked, and about the only good DX is the Asian and Ociania area because they are on 9 kHz channel separation.

First rule for good DX is to not live in a big city. If the big signals don't get you, the local man made noise will. Second rule is to know that in many places in the US, the good DX is not in English. I'd love to be between Destin and Panama City on the FL panhandle with a lot of sand to put a phased beverage antenna array on... might even get Puerto Montt or Puntarenas or Ushuaia!

 

[asugeorge1]

If California bites, then why is just about every single 10kHz channel occupied at night from about 530-1700 here about 12 miles east of San Diego, CA? (The only channels that may not be occupied are the ones immediately surrounding some nearly-impossible-to-null ultra-strong locals.)

I can go to Lago Agrio in the Amazon headwaters in the Ecuadorian jungle to the east of the Andes, and hear stations on every frequency, along with occasional Africans and such. Many signals from the US, too.

Interesting! Never been down to Ecuador before, but would love to go someday. What signals were you able to receive from the US down there?

 

[HGR1290]

When I was growing up in Northen Michigan---reception was great. We had a local on 1290, it went off at 12 midnight, the other local was a daytimer on 1590. After midnight you could hear everywhere. During the day, not to shabby either. I could pull out most of the Chicago clears during the day. Also, 550 in Cincy was audible along with WLW on 700.

Back in those days you could catch quite a few daytimers running tests at night, I recall hearing WVOk-690, WBAM-740 and KRMG on 740 during tests overnight.

 

[davideduardo]

If California bites, then why is just about every single 10kHz channel occupied at night from about 530-1700 here about 12 miles east of San Diego, CA? (The only channels that may not be occupied are the ones immediately surrounding some nearly-impossible-to-null ultra-strong locals.)

I can go to Lago Agrio in the Amazon headwaters in the Ecuadorian jungle to the east of the Andes, and hear stations on every frequency, along with occasional Africans and such. Many signals from the US, too.

Interesting! Never been down to Ecuador before, but would love to go someday. What signals were you able to receive from the US down there?

From home in Quito, I verified several hundred US stations, ranging from KFMB in San Diego and WMCA in NY, WFAA/WBAP 570, WKBN 570, to some Class IV's in the Dakotas. In the mid-60's, most stations within 500 to 1000 miles were off after 11 PM or midnight... my only locals after midnight were 570, 590 and 810, but I could listen on those channels when they occasionally went off for maintenance.

Some stations, like WGBS in Miami, could often be heard on a car radio in the city at night.

 

[davideduardo]

When I was growing up in Northen Michigan---reception was great. We had a local on 1290, it went off at 12 midnight, the other local was a daytimer on 1590.

WHGR in the early 60's was a half decent Top 40, and listenable in the car just south of Northport (quick, get the map) daytime if 1210 in Saginaw or WLS were not coming in...

 

[cd637299]

David:

Just wondering if today's 710 in Miami a.k.a. WAQI Radio Mambi would sound down in Quito, with the 4 or more Rebelde's in Cuba all over it. Not sure if the Rebelde's direct their signals north or not.

cd

 

[radioman148]

If California bites, then why is just about every single 10kHz channel occupied at night from about 530-1700 here about 12 miles east of San Diego, CA? (The only channels that may not be occupied are the ones immediately surrounding some nearly-impossible-to-null ultra-strong locals.)

I can go to Lago Agrio in the Amazon headwaters in the Ecuadorian jungle to the east of the Andes, and hear stations on every frequency, along with occasional Africans and such. Many signals from the US, too.

Interesting! Never been down to Ecuador before, but would love to go someday. What signals were you able to receive from the US down there?

From home in Quito, I verified several hundred US stations, ranging from KFMB in San Diego and WMCA in NY, WFAA/WBAP 570, WKBN 570, to some Class IV's in the Dakotas. In the mid-60's, most stations within 500 to 1000 miles were off after 11 PM or midnight... my only locals after midnight were 570, 590 and 810, but I could listen on those channels when they occasionally went off for maintenance.

Some stations, like WGBS in Miami, could often be heard on a car radio in the city at night.

Did you ever hear WLS or anything else from Chicago in Quito?

 

[davideduardo]

Did you ever hear WLS or anything else from Chicago in Quito?

The 1-A clears were all relatively common, but ones like WIND and WCFL were far less common visitors.

 

[davideduardo]

David:

Just wondering if today's 710 in Miami a.k.a. WAQI Radio Mambi would sound down in Quito, with the 4 or more Rebelde's in Cuba all over it. Not sure if the Rebelde's direct their signals north or not.

cd

The Cubans now are low power, with local groundwave being the weapon against 710. But the WGBS lobe is about the equivalent of 200 kw towards the south, so in Ecuador in the mid 60's the Cubans were never present. There were not many high power Cuban stations then, as the Soviet block transmitters had not yet been installed in any number.

I don't think any of the Cuban stations are directional, although a few were before Castro under NARBA. If the 710 stations were to be directional, it would be east to west, not to the north.

 

[radioman148]

Did you ever hear WLS or anything else from Chicago in Quito?

The 1-A clears were all relatively common, but ones like WIND and WCFL were far less common visitors.

Thanks! I imagine you could've gotten KGO if 810 was clear. I know they sent alot of signal to the south as I often heard them in Southern Mexico in the 60s.

 

[Schroedingers Cat]

WIND would have a decent chance for DX in South America on day pattern.

I would think WJJD would have had a better chance when they were 50 kW limited time.

Parts of western and northern Michigan do have very few strong signals, and you can get a lot with a small loop with or without a preamp in the daytime.

 

[davideduardo]

WIND would have a decent chance for DX in South America on day pattern.

WIND was fairly easy unless conditions favored WQAM or Beaumont... the more interesting catches were the northern midwestern Class IV stations when that class was all 250 watts.

560 was relatively clear because the Colombian did not get out well and signed off early, and there was relatively nothing else with power on it other than an occasional visit from TGBOL in Guatemala.

 

[davideduardo]

Thanks! I imagine you could've gotten KGO if 810 was clear. I know they sent alot of signal to the south as I often heard them in Southern Mexico in the 60s.

KGO was verified for a catch when local 24/7 HCFV1 was off for maintenance... in fact, my DX location was HCFV's transmitter site.

 

[radioman148]

Thanks! I imagine you could've gotten KGO if 810 was clear. I know they sent alot of signal to the south as I often heard them in Southern Mexico in the 60s.

KGO was verified for a catch when local 24/7 HCFV1 was off for maintenance... in fact, my DX location was HCFV's transmitter site.

I'll bet that antenna was a great help for DX. What was the farthest north you were able to receive from Ecuador? I assume you heard some Canadians.

 

[davideduardo]

I'll bet that antenna was a great help for DX. What was the farthest north you were able to receive from Ecuador? I assume you heard some Canadians.

Actually, I used what used to be known as the "NRC Loop" for all DX. I did connect to the tower a few times, but since it had a diplexer for 570 and 810, it was not particularly good anywhere else on the band. Of course, I could have taken the HQ 180 to the tower base, but that was not a portable receiver and it gets down to freezing at night in Quito...

Canadians were easy if they were the ones that were real 1 A's. But since most other Canadians were so directional to the north, few were listenable.

 

[Schroedingers Cat]

WXYZ 1270 Detroit (now WXYT) was one of the few stations in Michigan to radiate well to the south as well as north at night. One maxima in the old two tower array was to the SSE, the equivalent of 10+ kW in the two maxima. I wonder if that was heard in South America. The new ultra dogleg nine tower array with 50 kW is heard well in Canada and is a pest in Scandinavia. They had to reduce radiation to the south because of the ratchet clause.

 

[mleach]

Then there is Colorado or New Mexico. Those locations should only get better with the shift of Mexican AM's to FM.

Colorado maybe as long you aren't in Denver or really anywhere near the city. For starters Denver has a number stations that are "next door" for for example WLW is right next to local KNUS and KHOW is right beside KFI and of course forget anything near 850 thanks to, of course KOA.

Now once ( at night ) you get away from Denver and KHOW-KNUS-KEZW-KRWZ and others...your luck should improve.

Of course dx'ing isn't totally impossible in Denver since I can pick up KNX here and even WLW..depends on what part of Denver we are talking about but still very tough thanks to KNUS.

 

[asugeorge1]

Then there is Colorado or New Mexico. Those locations should only get better with the shift of Mexican AM's to FM.

Colorado maybe as long you aren't in Denver or really anywhere near the city. For starters Denver has a number stations that are "next door" for for example WLW is right next to local KNUS and KHOW is right beside KFI and of course forget anything near 850 thanks to, of course KOA.

Now once ( at night ) you get away from Denver and KHOW-KNUS-KEZW-KRWZ and others...your luck should improve.

Of course dx'ing isn't totally impossible in Denver since I can pick up KNX here and even WLW..depends on what part of Denver we are talking about but still very tough thanks to KNUS.

I actually really liked some of the DXing conditions in Denver, especially considering the size of the city. Denver is one of the few cities I’ve been to where I can clearly pick-up KNX 1070 from Los Angeles and Newsradio 780 WBBM from Chicago. I was also able to pick-up WGN when I nulled out KNUS. KSL came in good along with the big stations from Texas. KNBR 680 from San Francisco also came in while I was there. Overall, I would consider Denver and the state of Colorado to be a very good spot because you’re in a prime location to receive both west coast and east coast stations.

 

[cyberdad]

I'd love to be between Destin and Panama City on the FL panhandle with a lot of sand to put a phased beverage antenna array on... might even get Puerto Montt or Puntarenas or Ushuaia!

You would not be disappointed. As posted elsewhere, Mrs. Cyberdad and I stay at a condo on Perdido Key a couple of times each year. We have a week coming up at the end of next month. Basically this is at the other end of the Emerald Coast. 22 miles southwest of downtown Pensacola, and about 75 miles west of Destin. Similar conditions for DX.

The setup is like this.... Horrid ground conductivity blocks just about anything coming from land daytime. But in the other direction, you're at the top of the circular arc of the entire Gulf of Mexico. Most of the Pensacola signals are pretty well spent by the time they get to where I am....having mostly traveled over a barrier island sandbar to get to me. Yet about a dozen Florida peninusula stations are clearly audible, as are a couple of Texans (KLVI and KCTA). Several Cubans are also present all day....530, 570, 640, 670 (strongest of the bunch), and "the gang" on 710...under semi-local WNTM (Mobile).

At night, I didn't list it as my favorite spot, basically because so much stuff comes in that most channels become a complete mess....at least for the portable receivers I'm using. A few exceptions, however. XEWA, XEW, XEQ, XEOY, XEEP, and XEB sometimes come roaring in like locals. (Listening to soft classical music on XEEP while sitting on the balcony overlooking the moonlit gulf with a warm breeze wafting can be pure pleasure). Jamaica on 560 and 720 used to be rather easy, but I haven't heard them on the last couple of trips. Belize was also fairly common before leaving the AM band. PJB is also easy...at least when they have their act together.

The U.S. takes something of a back seat here at night. None of the Pensacola stations can overpower everthing else on their channels, and everything else that you can hear during the day basically disappears...except WWL. What's left are a few of the regional "clears"....WSM, WSB, WBAP, WHAS, and KWKH being the most reliable. A few others from the region also are fairly regular....WCNN and WBRC come to mind. The more distant clears are sporadic. The only Canadian that's even semi-reliable is CFZM...and it's usually getting clobbered if you can hear it at all.