What was the longest distance DX you have heard on AM or LW?

[davideduardo]

Brings up a point.

What is the record for longest distance AM MW signal received both in the early days and modern?

What is record for the combination of the longest distance reception of the lowest power AM MW transmitter?

Go to www.americanradiohistory.com and read some of the Radex magazines there. There are DX reports that include non-domestic listening that go back to the mid to later 20's, when hearing 100 watt Australians in Pennsylvania was not unheard of.

My early 60's records for distance from Cleveland, OH: Salta, Argentina 830, Montevideo 1090, Buenos Aires 950, Chile 730, 1140, 1180. Several Australians, including 660. One 10 kw New Zealand station on 1000. For power vs. distance, Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico on 780 with 50 watts in a 70 foot tower.

 

[BRNout]

Fantastic website David! I took a few minutes and went looking through some of the magazines that you have uploaded, but barely scratched the surface. My congratulations on a nice job.

 

[radioman148]

Great website. Thanks for letting us all share in radio history.

 

[stormy01]

My early 60's records for distance from Cleveland, OH: Salta, Argentina 830, Montevideo 1090, Buenos Aires 950, Chile 730, 1140, 1180. Several Australians, including 660. One 10 kw New Zealand station on 1000. For power vs. distance, Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico on 780 with 50 watts in a 70 foot tower.

There is no way we will ever see that kind of reception again on a regular basis in the states unless a significant number of AM's either move to FM (like in Canada) or they go silent...I was able to get some real DX similar to
that when I had started DXing in the mid to late 60's...those were the days! But then, don't give up, DXers!

 

[radioman148]

My early 60's records for distance from Cleveland, OH: Salta, Argentina 830, Montevideo 1090, Buenos Aires 950, Chile 730, 1140, 1180. Several Australians, including 660. One 10 kw New Zealand station on 1000. For power vs. distance, Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico on 780 with 50 watts in a 70 foot tower.

There is no way we will ever see that kind of reception again on a regular basis in the states unless a significant number of AM's either move to FM (like in Canada) or they go silent...I was able to get some real DX similar to
that when I had started DXing in the mid to late 60's...those were the days! But then, don't give up, DXers!

When I first started DXing in the early 60s it was wonderful. In addition to the band being open you had alot less noise.

 

[stormy01]

Go to www.americanradiohistory.com and read some of the Radex magazines there.

Yes! American Radio History is a most wonderful website, it keeps getting better all the time!

Why did the split channel stations on 625 Costa Rica, 655 El Salvador, 834 Belize, etc. have to go off the air or change frequencies? Those were prime DX targets in the 60's and 70's! TIRICA on 625 must have almost covered all of Central America in the daytime owing to its low dial position and a 1 Megawatt transmitter! I had heard them a number of times around 1970-71.

 

[DavidKaye]

How's THIS for a good catch.

Found it on You Tube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lfov68a6JOY

Gosh, all that expensive equipment just to hear a 40-year old record, "Daydream Believer". This is why I have no use for DX anymore. There's nothing interesting to hear. Used to be I could pull in regional hits, regional programs (like barn dances, polka shows, or esoteric talkshows) but no more. It's now either syndie or stuff I can hear in much better fidelity right here at home.

Also, is 1700 such a good catch? It's practically a clear channel. Hearing KWG from Stockton on 1230, now that would be a good catch, I feel.

 

[radioman148]

How's THIS for a good catch.

Found it on You Tube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lfov68a6JOY

Gosh, all that expensive equipment just to hear a 40-year old record, "Daydream Believer". This is why I have no use for DX anymore. There's nothing interesting to hear. Used to be I could pull in regional hits, regional programs (like barn dances, polka shows, or esoteric talkshows) but no more. It's now either syndie or stuff I can hear in much better fidelity right here at home.

Also, is 1700 such a good catch? It's practically a clear channel. Hearing KWG from Stockton on 1230, now that would be a good catch, I feel.

I guess it all depends on how you look at it. It's not the content but the thrill of hearing a hard to get station thousands of miles away.

 

[crainbebo]

My best is KVNS out of Brownsville, TX with a distance of 2021 miles away from me.

On LW, the only thing i've heard is a WEAK, WEAK carrier on 162. IDK if that's France or not, but I heard a carrier one night.

-crainbebo

 

[gar hi]

I guess it all depends on how you look at it. It's not the content but the thrill of hearing a hard to get station thousands of miles away.

Exactly. What you're hearing is irrelevant. Where you're hearing it from is what it's all about. Besides, I'd sooner hear good old top 40 during a DX than some of the boring stuff on AM now.

My best is KVNS out of Brownsville, TX with a distance of 2021 miles away from me.

-crainbebo

That's one good catch! Considering I'm not much less then 1000 miles away here and it's also nothing but water between us and Brownsville, it's not a regular station here at night at all. More nights than not when I check, I can't hear it. Only now and then will it come in.

 

[radioman148]

>>Exactly. What you're hearing is irrelevant. Where you're hearing it from is what it's all about. Besides, I'd sooner hear good old top 40 during a DX than some of the boring stuff on AM now>>

I'll never forget the thrill in the early 60s when I first heard KFI in Illinois. That was DX nirvana at the time.

 

[vibe]

I didn't measure the distance but I was really thrilled to get KSL 1160 from Englewood FL with an average radio. Since then I've gotten the station a few times.
A friend, now deceased got KFI from New Britain CT more than once in the mid 60's but he had a real good setup. He had more fun dissecting the graveyards.

 

[radioman148]

I didn't measure the distance but I was really thrilled to get KSL 1160 from Englewood FL with an average radio. Since then I've gotten the station a few times.
A friend, now deceased got KFI from New Britain CT more than once in the mid 60's but he had a real good setup. He had more fun dissecting the graveyards.

You can still emulate the 60s by going to a place like Hawaii where DX still pours in from both sides of the Pacific with less interference.
Oh--did I say it's just like the old days of the AM band?

 

[BRNout]

The best MW dx that I can confirm - is KOA from Devon, PA (near Philly) and WBBM from San Juan, PR. In the first case, I was using a Sony ICF SW7600GR, in the second it was an Eton E5. Each case was within the past 5-6 years, but before the invasion of the IBOC virus.

I also picked up WLS in Managua, Nicaragua one night in 2003 - I suppose that counts too. That one was using just a Sony sports Walkman!

All were received by just using the unit's stock ferrite bar antenna system. I've never played around with any external MW antenna systems.

 

[Icangelp]

How's THIS for a good catch.

Found it on You Tube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lfov68a6JOY

Gosh, all that expensive equipment just to hear a 40-year old record, "Daydream Believer". This is why I have no use for DX anymore. There's nothing interesting to hear. Used to be I could pull in regional hits, regional programs (like barn dances, polka shows, or esoteric talkshows) but no more. It's now either syndie or stuff I can hear in much better fidelity right here at home.

Also, is 1700 such a good catch? It's practically a clear channel. Hearing KWG from Stockton on 1230, now that would be a good catch, I feel.

I guess it all depends on how you look at it. It's not the content but the thrill of hearing a hard to get station thousands of miles away.

My feelings, exactly.
When I was a teen and in my twenties, I did take pleasure in hearing the top 40 stations and the unique programming from distant cities; but DXing was was separate from that for me, and still is today. I get a kick out of catching a KGOW in Belleaire, Texas who happenend to have left their 50 KW transmitter and daytime directional pattern on all night; or a graveyard station jump out of the jumble for a few seconds and ID themselves.

 

[radioman148]

The best MW dx that I can confirm - is KOA from Devon, PA (near Philly) and WBBM from San Juan, PR. In the first case, I was using a Sony ICF SW7600GR, in the second it was an Eton E5. Each case was within the past 5-6 years, but before the invasion of the IBOC virus.

I also picked up WLS in Managua, Nicaragua one night in 2003 - I suppose that counts too. That one was using just a Sony sports Walkman!

All were received by just using the unit's stock ferrite bar antenna system. I've never played around with any external MW antenna systems.

Back in the 60s & 70s WBBM & WLS especially were easy catches in southern Mexico for me, but since they've filled up all the frequencies in Central America & the Caribbean it's been much tougher.
I had no luck when I was in Puerto Rico in 2004. You must have had perfect conditions.

 

[DX]

Off the top of my head---

Using portable radios with highly-directional internal ferrite aerials:
From Chicago area: KOA 850 Denver
From Memphis area: KFI 640 Los Angeles & numerous Venezuelans/Colombians
From Orlando area: Broadcasting Service of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 1521 (2000 kilowatts!)
From Stockholm, Sweden: (Small portable radio in window of hotel room, downtown Stockholm):
Eeesti Raadio, Tallin, Estonia & BBC 1341 Belfast, Northern Ireland

Using standard car-radio receiver with whip:
From Wilmington, Delaware, area: KOA 850 Denver & numerous Venezuelans/Colombians
Using communications receiver with external antenna:
From Wilmington, Delaware, area: Norsk Rikskringkasting / Norwegian Broadcasting, Oslo 1314 (1200 kilowatts)
From Curacao, Netherlands Antilles:
WBBM 780 Chicago on TOP of Ecos del Torbes, Venezuela
WLS 890 Chicago on TOP of Colombian & Venezuelan stations

 

[radioman148]

>>WBBM 780 Chicago on TOP of Ecos del Torbes, Venezuela
WLS 890 Chicago on TOP of Colombian & Venezuelan stations>>

Do you remember what year that was?

 

[DX]

Mid 1980's..

 

[radioman148]

Mid 1980's..

Those are great catches just off the coast of South America.