Two daytime AM catches from the Gulf in Dunedin, FL (video)

[gar hi]

It seems to defy the laws of physics almost because how can a weak signal be made stronger?

If you're getting a stronger signal across a complete saltwater path and then the signal weakens as you go inland, that makes sense but the opposite thing puzzles me, yet we've both seen it happen.

 

[Lewtheprof]

I think (my theory on this) is that a close by, [essentially infinitely] wide and flat expanse of highly conductive salt water surrounding an island, especially small islands, [the salt water] is behaving as a perfectly placed, nearly perfect ground plane, when coupled with any antenna located within the confines of that same said island. The rest of this goes without saying, for those of us who well understand and appreciate the high value of such a ground plane, especially at these frequencies, even for best receiving a signal!

 

[Lewtheprof]

I gave 740 KHz a go last night, on a whim and because the ever present lightning this time of year had surprisingly cleared out for the night. From about midnight to 2:00 am, the only thing I was ever able to hear while pointed to the west, was KTRH out of Houston. It was a very poor and unstable signal, I am guessing mostly due the highly directional signal they have, which is strong at 50 KW but pointed almost directly away from here. That it was the dominant signal out of the west, doesn't bode well for any likelihood I'll ever hear yet another station, [much] further to the west and aimed elsewhere too. :-( I looked at the pattern for KCBS and it really does aim south and slightly east, I think perhaps in an effort to cover going southward along the California coast and inland empire. If I were in western Mexico, I'd probably be in fine shape to hear it just fine but at 2475 miles distant, anywhere east of Guadalajara is not likely ever going to happen...

 

[gar hi]

Well, even though it's a lot closer, I've heard KCBS on the Grand Junction, Colorado receiver on Globaltuners.

They are completely in the null of KCBS but I've heard it more than once and it was a fairly strong signal too.

KKOB has a pattern to protect WABC but some here have heard them at night in the Midwest which is right in their null.

 

[Lewtheprof]

Oh I'll be sure to keep trying. I'll go to a quieter location, late at night one winter day,, with a better antenna and radio as well, if only just to see if I can and just to say I did. Once, while living in Los Angeles around 1980, in spite of countless repeatedly failed attempts, I almost accidentally managed to clearly receive WLS 890 out of Chicago (1720 miles), in of all places; while sitting parked in the alley behind the house in Glendora CA, inside of my 1977 Ford Pickup Truck, equipped with only the stock analog AM/Mono FM radio. I listened with amazement for as long as I could and finally left the radio while the station was still nicely audible. Point being,, you just never know!

 

[radioman148]

Oh I'll be sure to keep trying. I'll go to a quieter location, late at night one winter day,, with a better antenna and radio as well, if only just to see if I can and just to say I did. Once, while living in Los Angeles around 1980, in spite of countless repeatedly failed attempts, I almost accidentally managed to clearly receive WLS 890 out of Chicago (1720 miles), in of all places; while sitting parked in the alley behind the house in Glendora CA, inside of my 1977 Ford Pickup Truck, equipped with only the stock analog AM/Mono FM radio. I listened with amazement for as long as I could and finally left the radio while the station was still nicely audible. Point being,, you just never know!

WLS used to come in very well most nights in California when I tried over the years. This ended around the mid 80s when KDXU and other stations started staying on all night on 890.