Video clip of Houston HD 84 miles with dipole

[jras20]

Here is a Video clip of my reception out 84 miles in Lavaca county. Its spotty some but usually comes in ok. During the day it comes in and out but its not bad. I think if they increase the power I may not have any trouble.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M13ZLBocxbc

 

[Chuck]

Here is a Video clip of my reception out 84 miles in Lavaca county. Its spotty some but usually comes in ok. During the day it comes in and out but its not bad. I think if they increase the power I may not have any trouble.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M13ZLBocxbc

I don't believe your antenna installation will get an award from "House Beautiful." Most people won't do that.

To be fair, 84 miles is a stretch for analog or HD. I’m happy for you that it more or less works, but the average person is not motivated enough to even connect the antenna, much less hang it from his ceiling. Their old radios have worked for years with no intervention from the user, other than turning it on. To ask them to do more is unrealistic.

 

[rbrucecarter5]

Here is a Video clip of my reception out 84 miles in Lavaca county. Its spotty some but usually comes in ok. During the

Congratulations! Based on my tests at 70 miles with a dipole, I think it is entirely possible. I wasn't able to repeat my 280 mile reception of 93Q (KKBQ) HD in Plano - there is an opening towards the East tonight and 93Q is covered up by the gospel station in Louisiana. But - taking what I can get - if KNUE or KOOI ran HD, I'd definitely have had them, they are putting signals like locals in here tonight. That is basically my problem - there are virtually no HD stations in the 100 to 150 mile range that I could really use to get a test of how robust the system is with an outdoor antenna. I have to rely on stations much farther and only get occasional tropo reception in HD. Mornings are much more stable, but late evenings are somewhat stable and get more so as it gets later. Middle of the day - 93Q is spotty at best even in analog, and other stations interfere. But the super power stations on tall sticks don't need much help to come in when the atmosphere stabilizes. I get better reception on KBEZ 92.9 from Tulsa for some reason, but they aren't in HD so they are not a good test subject. Which leads me to another problem, there are not many frequencies open here where I could try for HD from nearby cities. So your benchmarks with a dipole are really important data points! I'd love to set up a first rate outdoor antenna at your Port Lavaca location some time and see what Houston, San Antonio, and Austin HD was possible. But I'm not travelling for a while.

 

[Chuck]

For what it is worth, a friend in Longview, TX reports fairly reliable HD reception from Dallas stations in the early morning. That's about 125 - 130 miles. They usually go away about 9-10 AM. He is using a large FM only Yagi on a rotor and a Sony tuner. I believe he has a mast-mounted preamp as well. He is located at a fairly high point in the area, and the antenna is about 10 feet above the roof of a two-story house.

Obviously, he is a DX’er and enjoys seeing what he can get. He is not at all a typical radio listener. Recently, I loaned him my Sangean Wi-Fi Radio. This morning he sent me an email that said in the subject line, "I'm sold on Internet radio." I thought that was interesting coming from a life-long radio fan.

 

[jras20]

Its fun DX'n down there, I can pick up stuff from the Valley all the way to Louisiana. I have a pretty decent outdoor FM antenna right now, but I have that one going to Victoria to get Corpus also. I can get Corpus pretty well most of the time. I havn't hooked up the HD Radio to it yet to test Corpus, I think the only HD station is NPR out of Corpus. Its fun when the night is right!

 

[KB1OKL]

I have never understood the lure of FM Dxing, tropo and ducting are just not for me. Too unpredictable. I have my Dipole FM antenna straight up and down so it's non-directional, and I just leave it there.

 

[rbrucecarter5]

I have never understood the lure of FM Dxing, tropo and ducting are just not for me. Too unpredictable. I have my Dipole FM antenna straight up and down so it's non-directional, and I just leave it there.

Well, I was 14 and in the redneck capital of the world - Midland, TX. When you lived there, radio was censored top-40, country country country with a lone Spanish language station. After struggling with AM DX for years to get decent stations, I heard that a new FM was coming on the air in San Angelo - 100 miles away. My budget allowed a salvaged FM car radio, power supply, and a home made log periodic antenna. Instead of hearing a new FM station from San Angelo, I heard Donovan's "Season of the Witch" on an unexpected frequency - 102.7. I knew that nobody in San Angelo would play a sophisticated rock song like that, and the station ID came after the song: KTFM. I looked it up in a book of stations - SAN ANTONIO. Which was in line with the direction the antenna was pointed. Astonished at 300 mile reception, I quickly realized the implications: 300 mile FM reception was not only possible, but I soon discovered RELIABLE enough to enjoy. It was about CONTENT for me. I can see how someone in Longview, after suffering with bad reception for years, would make an immediate switch to streaming audio. It never was, for me, the QSL cards or the challenge of DX or the rush of a new tropo. It was always CONTENT and nothing more. A necessary technical means to an end.

I have a mild sense of accomplishment when I DX, but I know what I have done, I know what can be done, I understand the limitations of the equipment and antennas - but I've been there, done that, and stream 99% of the time I listen to radio. I have the installations that allow DX, probably more out of habit than anything else.

 

[KB1OKL]

Pretty interesting, we had good FM right from 1968 so I never had the need, The American Revolution: WBCN. You must have an LP of Donovan's greatest hits around somewhere ;D. It is so hilly around here I would imagine that FM dxing in your part of the country is a lot more satisfying. I have on occasion gotten a few tropo stations from NY which is approx 200 miles from here and was mildly interested but AM always interested me more, also I live not so far from the coast that TA's are often in at night especially during the winter. Listening to Europe and the middle east etc. is pretty interesting on AM radio.

 

[Chuck]

I can see how someone in Longview, after suffering with bad reception for years, would make an immediate switch to streaming audio. It never was, for me, the QSL cards or the challenge of DX or the rush of a new tropo. It was always CONTENT and nothing more. A necessary technical means to an end.

Actually, there a lot of stations that come in well in Longview. Radio Locator shows 28, but that is very conservative. There are tons more that come in just fine on your average car radio. Off hand, I'd say anywhere between 35 and 50, depending on where you are. In fact, it is hard to find an open frequency for an ipod or satellite modulator.

Since there is no shortage of RF in the air, I would have to conclude that my friends attraction to Internet radio is all about content. Sounds kinda familiar...

 

[Carmine5]

I can see how someone in Longview, after suffering with bad reception for years, would make an immediate switch to streaming audio. It never was, for me, the QSL cards or the challenge of DX or the rush of a new tropo. It was always CONTENT and nothing more. A necessary technical means to an end.

Actually, there a lot of stations that come in well in Longview. Radio Locator shows 28, but that is very conservative. There are tons more that come in just fine on your average car radio. Off hand, I'd say anywhere between 35 and 50, depending on where you are. In fact, it is hard to find an open frequency for an ipod or satellite modulator.

Since there is no shortage of RF in the air, I would have to conclude that my friends attraction to Internet radio is all about content. Sounds kinda familiar...

Hey, Chuck. How is your NCE app coming along? I understand you have to divest yourself of your LPFM. Does that include the translators also?

C5

 

[jras20]

DX'n is a part of life. If I couldn't DX out in Lavaca county, all I could get is country and spanish formats. Now that I can get other formats, I can get Victoria, Houston, Corpus, College station, Austin, I can get just about every format I need. AM is great also, but at night. I mostly use my analog radio out there, but every so often I'll turn on HD to see what is on. I like country legends on 93Q HD-3. KXGJ use to be a great classic country station until they sold.

 

[Chuck]

Hey, Chuck. How is your NCE app coming along? I understand you have to divest yourself of your LPFM. Does that include the translators also?

C5

I don't know if we will ever build the NCE. That’s mainly because the proposed tower site is no longer available (it was sold) and there aren't many alternative locations. We are trying to see what we can work out.

Part of the condition of signing on the NCE includes divestiture of the LPFM. That is relatively simple to do if need be. The translators are owned by a third party that is not related to the LPFM, so they wouldn't be affected.

 

[Chuck]

DX'n is a part of life.

In many parts of the country it is just "normal" radio reception. A lot of people don't know they have a hobby, or what it's called. It is just what they do to receive any radio or TV signals. That point seems to be lost on many people.

 

[Carmine5]

Hey, Chuck. How is your NCE app coming along? I understand you have to divest yourself of your LPFM. Does that include the translators also?

C5

I don't know if we will ever build the NCE. That’s mainly because the proposed tower site is no longer available (it was sold) and there aren't many alternative locations. We are trying to see what we can work out.

I hear ya'. That's the wall I'm hitting with this AM station I'm trying to build. And as you know, AM requires even more land than FM for a tower site.

Hope all goes well.

C5