Video of daytime AM reception at the Gulf in Central Florida

[fldxer]

I haven't listened on AM in awhile, but I recall hearing Houston on 740 no problem all along Pinellas/Pasco beaches. 1200 San Antonio is another possibility. If you can listen at sunset, you'll get plenty! Just park at the causeway and save a buck or two- I've parked there a number of times over the year- always find it electrically quiet and always a dial full of stations. Lastly, I think WWL is the only thing from LA you'll hear during day- tried for some of the others over the years with no luck, Biloxi should be an easy day time catch as well.

Greg Myers
Holiday, FL

 

[gar hi]

Not being familiar with the area is that location right on the gulf?

Not only that, it's an isolated series of islands out in the Gulf at the southern tip of Tampa Bay. In all the years here, I've never been there but it was voted best beach in 2008.

I haven't listened on AM in awhile, but I recall hearing Houston on 740 no problem all along Pinellas/Pasco beaches.

Was that day or night?

 

[drt]

I haven't listened on AM in awhile, but I recall hearing Houston on 740 no problem all along Pinellas/Pasco beaches. 1200 San Antonio is another possibility. If you can listen at sunset, you'll get plenty! Just park at the causeway and save a buck or two- I've parked there a number of times over the year- always find it electrically quiet and always a dial full of stations. Lastly, I think WWL is the only thing from LA you'll hear during day- tried for some of the others over the years with no luck, Biloxi should be an easy day time catch as well.

Greg Myers
Holiday, FL

The only station on 1200 I was able to receive on the beaches back in January was the 1200 AM out of Fort Myers, which is now 50,000 watts day; will have to try again for 740 as I didn't receive that either at Indian Shores, Pass-a-Grille or the USCG Blackthorne Memorial (just east of Fort DeSoto; from there you can see Egmont Key as well as Fort DeSoto).

btw- GARFLA, if you can get away from the family for a while to dx; you might want to try the different beaches there, that might make a difference, there's the south beach, the north beach and areas in between near the fishing pier; all at different angles; it is a nice beach area.

Looks as though, your east coast trip needs to be to Daytona Shores.

drt

 

[schmave]

You might want to try for KTRH between your sunset and ours, in the time before KTRH switches to its night pattern. I'm pretty sure there's a vicious nighttime null toward Orlando. That, coupled with the fact that KTRH must pull in its signal because 740 is a Canadian clear channel, means it pours a massive signal to the south and southwest over Houston.

 

[gar hi]

The real interest in my case is being able to get these stations during the day and only a result of the saltwater conductivity.

 

[vibe]

getting ktrh 740 and kcra (?) Corpus 1030 in the last hour of the day on the west coast of SW fla, particularly in winter is not unusual, ive gotten a strong 1160 out of the dallas area as well as well as central texas x banders including one from the fort smith ak area. I can't remember the others. The receptions of the x banders on 1620 and 1640 during the day from the Englewood FL area is a year round thing. For some reason, I haven't targeted the 1700 out of brownsville; I think I get a weak 1700 in Spanish I think from Miami.
But i've gotten 1030 corpus 1.5 hrs after local sunrise. Probably skywave but maybe groundwave. The key catching the spanish station on 1030 during a null. Not too often...
But this thread has piqued my interest once again. However i have a so so at best AM radio in the car now. The radio I'd like to try with is an old GE AM/FM/8 track (which still works) that I got at a yard sale for $2 or 3 earlier this year. Lucky find. Has real killer AM and FM tuners. But I'm about 3 mi from the beach so the only far away stations (during the day) are the aforementioned x banders, a pretty good WWL and the 1600 out of Key West.
I think going over the Sunshine Skyway bridge is the line of demarcation between central and SW fla.

 

[radioman148]

getting ktrh 740 and kcra (?) Corpus 1030 in the last hour of the day on the west coast of SW fla, particularly in winter is not unusual, ive gotten a strong 1160 out of the dallas area as well as well as central texas x banders including one from the fort smith ak area. I can't remember the others. The receptions of the x banders on 1620 and 1640 during the day from the Englewood FL area is a year round thing. For some reason, I haven't targeted the 1700 out of brownsville; I think I get a weak 1700 in Spanish I think from Miami.
But i've gotten 1030 corpus 1.5 hrs after local sunrise. Probably skywave but maybe groundwave. The key catching the spanish station on 1030 during a null. Not too often...
But this thread has piqued my interest once again. However i have a so so at best AM radio in the car now. The radio I'd like to try with is an old GE AM/FM/8 track (which still works) that I got at a yard sale for $2 or 3 earlier this year. Lucky find. Has real killer AM and FM tuners. But I'm about 3 mi from the beach so the only far away stations (during the day) are the aforementioned x banders, a pretty good WWL and the 1600 out of Key West.
I think going over the Sunshine Skyway bridge is the line of demarcation between central and SW fla.

If you're going to try for daytime DX this time of year check the thunderstorm forecast. Static crashes are murder.

 

[drt]

getting ktrh 740 and kcra (?) Corpus 1030 in the last hour of the day on the west coast of SW fla, particularly in winter is not unusual, ive gotten a strong 1160 out of the dallas area as well as well as central texas x banders including one from the fort smith ak area. I can't remember the others. The receptions of the x banders on 1620 and 1640 during the day from the Englewood FL area is a year round thing. For some reason, I haven't targeted the 1700 out of brownsville; I think I get a weak 1700 in Spanish I think from Miami.
But i've gotten 1030 corpus 1.5 hrs after local sunrise. Probably skywave but maybe groundwave. The key catching the spanish station on 1030 during a null. Not too often...
But this thread has piqued my interest once again. However i have a so so at best AM radio in the car now. The radio I'd like to try with is an old GE AM/FM/8 track (which still works) that I got at a yard sale for $2 or 3 earlier this year. Lucky find. Has real killer AM and FM tuners. But I'm about 3 mi from the beach so the only far away stations (during the day) are the aforementioned x banders, a pretty good WWL and the 1600 out of Key West.
I think going over the Sunshine Skyway bridge is the line of demarcation between central and SW fla.

If you're going to try for daytime DX this time of year check the thunderstorm forecast. Static crashes are murder.

Radioman148........

What would we do to make that dream (a thunderstorm or any rain) come true? Most of the state is under a severe three year drought (except the panhandle and extreme north central part of the state, where they have had floods).

The rainy season starts in early June on the east coast and from mid June to late June on the west coast and then, dx'ing can be tricky with all the static and of course, if you're out at the beach itself, static could be the least of your problems; seems at least one or two people get struck by lightning each summer at the beaches.

drt ]

 

[radioman148]

getting ktrh 740 and kcra (?) Corpus 1030 in the last hour of the day on the west coast of SW fla, particularly in winter is not unusual, ive gotten a strong 1160 out of the dallas area as well as well as central texas x banders including one from the fort smith ak area. I can't remember the others. The receptions of the x banders on 1620 and 1640 during the day from the Englewood FL area is a year round thing. For some reason, I haven't targeted the 1700 out of brownsville; I think I get a weak 1700 in Spanish I think from Miami.
But i've gotten 1030 corpus 1.5 hrs after local sunrise. Probably skywave but maybe groundwave. The key catching the spanish station on 1030 during a null. Not too often...
But this thread has piqued my interest once again. However i have a so so at best AM radio in the car now. The radio I'd like to try with is an old GE AM/FM/8 track (which still works) that I got at a yard sale for $2 or 3 earlier this year. Lucky find. Has real killer AM and FM tuners. But I'm about 3 mi from the beach so the only far away stations (during the day) are the aforementioned x banders, a pretty good WWL and the 1600 out of Key West.
I think going over the Sunshine Skyway bridge is the line of demarcation between central and SW fla.

If you're going to try for daytime DX this time of year check the thunderstorm forecast. Static crashes are murder.

Radioman148........

What would we do to make that dream (a thunderstorm or any rain) come true? Most of the state is under a severe three year drought (except the panhandle and extreme north central part of the state, where they have had floods).

The rainy season starts in early June on the east coast and from mid June to late June on the west coast and then, dx'ing can be tricky with all the static and of course, if you're out at the beach itself, static could be the least of your problems; seems at least one or two people get struck by lightning each summer at the beaches.

drt ]

I've been to Florida in mid & late May and usually we're dodging the storms.
I've heard about the drought this year. I hope you get some relief soon.

 

[gar hi]

Here on the central west coast, the thunderstorms we're known for don't get going until we're into June. That doesn't mean there can't be any storms in May but it doesn't happen often and May is usually just plain hot and humid.

 

[radioman148]

Here on the central west coast, the thunderstorms we're known for don't get going until we're into June. That doesn't mean there can't be any storms in May but it doesn't happen often and May is usually just plain hot and humid.

Hopefully you'll get your relief in June. I can't fathom no storms in Florida all summer.

 

[drt]

GARFLA and others:

The 1700 you heard could have been Miamii; I'm not sure of their format or language this week, but they change formats and languages more than any station I've ever heard.

A month or so ago; people on the Miami board were indicating 1700 had sports and was competing with WQAM 560 and WAXY 790; this week they could be another format and back in Spanish or another format in English!!

btw- SBE1 and GARFL; have either of you noticed that for the last few days, 570 WTBN has been off the air at times and when on the air, seems to be on reduced power. I'm 3 or 4 blocks from the Bayboro Campus of USF and the reception here is pretty much what I've experienced halfway between Lakewood Ranch and greater metro Myakka City in the past ........ not all that strong and the Cuban station was almost as strong.

 

[gar hi]

The 1700 you heard could have been Miamii; I'm not sure of their format or language this week, but they change formats and languages more than any station I've ever heard.

A month or so ago; people on the Miami board were indicating 1700 had sports and was competing with WQAM 560 and WAXY 790; this week they could be another format and back in Spanish or another format in English!!

I thought it was too good that I could have heard KVNS. I'll check out 1700 when it gets dark to see what the Miami station has.

btw- SBE1 and GARFL; have either of you noticed that for the last few days, 570 WTBN has been off the air at times and when on the air, seems to be on reduced power. I'm 3 or 4 blocks from the Bayboro Campus of USF and the reception here is pretty much what I've experienced halfway between Lakewood Ranch and greater metro Myakka City in the past ........ not all that strong and the Cuban station was almost as strong.

Thanks for the heads up. Maybe I'll be able to get WQAM now. Like I said, it was a surprise to get it out at the beach when I can't get a trace where I am inland.

 

[gar hi]

Wow this is weird!!! It's just after 7 pm and there's about an hour of daylight to go. I'm at home and I just picked up the radio and tuned to 1700.

I'm getting a fantastic loud signal and the station is in French!

 

[radioman148]

Wow this is weird!!! It's just after 7 pm and there's about an hour of daylight to go. I'm at home and I just picked up the radio and tuned to 1700.

I'm getting a fantastic loud signal and the station is in French!

Those x banders start rolling in often well before sunset.

 

[drt]

Wow this is weird!!! It's just after 7 pm and there's about an hour of daylight to go. I'm at home and I just picked up the radio and tuned to 1700.

I'm getting a fantastic loud signal and the station is in French!

...... and that could still be Miami (or maybe not!)...... who knows what the flavor/format and language of the week is this week on 1700 out of Miami; it could be French or Creole, since there are a lot of people in Miami/Dade and south Broward who speak Creole.


right now at 9 minutes past 9pm; WTBN-570 is on the air and seems to be full power; don't know what's going on with them; maybe whatever the problem was is resolved.
drt

 

[gar hi]

OK, it's getting more strange.

I've checked 1700 again at 9:15 pm and I'm getting two stations now. The French station is there when I turn the radio in an E/W direction and now there's an English speaking gospel station when I turn the radio to the SSE/NNW.



I think the gospel one may be Miami but what's with this French station now?

 

[gar hi]

I should have checked the frequency guide. There's a gospel station in Huntsville, Alabama. I've never heard that one. The French station was giving some commercials and they were giving directions for some place. He said "Hollywood". I guess that station is the one from Miami.

???

 

[dx1ng]

Just flipped on the radio to see what was on 1700 here in Poughkeepsie, NY. Clearly dominant is WEUP-Huntsville. When they fade, it's just a jumble and static... no French heard here.

 

[radioman148]

Just flipped on the radio to see what was on 1700 here in Poughkeepsie, NY. Clearly dominant is WEUP-Huntsville. When they fade, it's just a jumble and static... no French heard here.

In the Chicago area we get ESPN sports from Des Moines, Ia on 1700 at night only.