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Worst places to DX

If we're going to revive and update this thread, I'm going to say that hotels are increasingly becoming one of the worst places to DX. Of course, steel and concrete construction hotels have always been pretty lousy. But now even the smaller hotels in smaller markets...including rural or semi-rural areas are getting to be problematic.

As many of you know, I've been a business traveler for many years, so I'm probably overly-familiar with hotels. As recently as a few years ago a Marriott Fairfield Inn, Holiday Inn Express, etc. used to be pretty decent DX venues more often than not. Not any more. Flat screens, CFLs, guests' laptops buzzing away in every room, etc., etc. has really made for a major increase in the noise level.

The point was driven home to me on last weekend on a three-day visit to upstate New York and adjacent Ontario. Two of the three hotels were impossible for any sort of DX. The third....Buffalo Marriott....was the only one where there was even any chance for DXing. And that's only because I was on the top floor...which was only about half full!

I had to console myself by going up the street to Duff's for some wings. ;D
 
As you may know, my wife and I go to the Florida Keys a few times a year, DX equipment (including TV & outdoor antennas).

On the whole, the Keys are fantastic for DX; but the cities of Key Largo, Marathon & Key West---no way! Especially AM DX along US 1 with the power lines.

cd
 
Definitely agree that Key West is pretty much a bummer....especially when staying on a large boat filled with scads of electronic equipment. I had big expectations for my first visit in February, but it was pretty much a bust.

The drive to and from Miami on U.S. 1 was a blast, however!
 
Hampton Roads area of Virginia is pretty bad in my experience. You'd think with all the salt water around there it'd be great, but there are a bazillion hotels, motels and neon lights in the greater Virginia Beach area, coupled with a huge population. I've tried on the beach and in the hotels (which as mentioned above are almost impossible anymore to DX in) and get a LOT of noise, but nothing useful. Different, and multiple radios and antennas all seem to garner the same results.


Now, one thing I'd like to try once is a decent quality receiver on the mid-point of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Just for kicks.
 
cyberdad said:
Definitely agree that Key West is pretty much a bummer....especially when staying on a large boat filled with scads of electronic equipment. I had big expectations for my first visit in February, but it was pretty much a bust.

The drive to and from Miami on U.S. 1 was a blast, however!
Click to expand...

Most of South Florida is a pretty much a bust for any real DX'ing. Between the Cuban interference and the humid conditions there are only a handful of out of town stations you can count on picking up on a regular basis. Here in SW Florida you can count on WSB/1110, WSM/650 and WWL/870 most nights but beyond that it is very hit and miss. Of course it is better in the winter months but summer..forget about it. Too much interference from lighting etc.
 
cyberdad said:
The point was driven home to me on last weekend on a three-day visit to upstate New York and adjacent Ontario. Two of the three hotels were impossible for any sort of DX. The third....Buffalo Marriott....was the only one where there was even any chance for DXing. And that's only because I was on the top floor...which was only about half full!

I had to console myself by going up the street to Duff's for some wings. ;D
Click to expand...

Poor thing... ;D

Seriously, though, you're lucky you were out in the burbs; had you been in any of the downtown Buffalo hotels, you'd have been in a sea of RF overload from the three big class B FMs (93.7, 96.1, 106.5) that transmit from the Rand Building, right in the heart of downtown and not tall enough to get the RF up and over the other tall buildings.
 
My worst experience with DXing was last year in the hotel when I was staying in Santa Cruz.

My first opportunity to do nighttime AM DXing out there in years and with my good receiver and the interference was ridiculous.

Because that's such an eco friendly town where they make it an obsession ::) every friggin light in the place was fluorescent, including every single bulb in the lamps too.

I got to try some AM Dxing at night but the dial was loaded with all that buzzing and humming like I've never seen.

And it was too cold to go outside at night, not to mention no real place to set up my stuff.
 
For AM I nominate for the worst the parking lot at the Izod Center in the New Jersey Meadowlands. It is hell, you have WINS throwing 100 kw right at you, WOR is very close, WLIB, 620 AM, WADO 1280, 1380 and 1660 are close. Then not too far WABC 770, WBBR 1130, WMCA/WNYC 570/820, WWRL 1600 and WEPN 1050. Even 1480 not that far.
 
A bad place to DX the FM band is the DC's rich, affluent suburb of McLean, VA all the way to the northwestern section of DC and Bethesda, MD; that's where the FM transmitters are, and with the IBOC on, it's FM h--l there.
Another bad place the central Oregon coast along the Cape Perpetua where there's spetacular scenery on Rt. 101, llarge steep hills block any FM signals to the highway and the shore, and there's a tunnel that 101 goes through, both AM and FM signals disappear in it.
 
I have wondered what AM DXing from Antarctica (in their winter, of course) would be like.

cd
 
Yes, but don't hills and mountains allow knife-edge refraction on FM? I know up at 2500 ft on the Manastash Ridge, 120 mi reception of KRKL 93.3 and KGTS 91.3 Walla Walla was easy.

-crainbebo

ddsparxx said:
Another bad place the central Oregon coast along the Cape Perpetua where there's spetacular scenery on Rt. 101, llarge steep hills block any FM signals to the highway and the shore, and there's a tunnel that 101 goes through, both AM and FM signals disappear in it.
Click to expand...
 
The worst place for me is the Las Vegas strip. You can hardly hear anything there, but noise. If I hold my radio near the window I might hear a few of the San Francisco & LA 50KWs, but that's about it. Even the locals are bad.
As Cyberdad has mentioned most hotels are bad these days, but they are terrible for DX in Vegas.
 
Scott Fybush said:
cyberdad said:
The point was driven home to me on last weekend on a three-day visit to upstate New York and adjacent Ontario. Two of the three hotels were impossible for any sort of DX. The third....Buffalo Marriott....was the only one where there was even any chance for DXing. And that's only because I was on the top floor...which was only about half full!

I had to console myself by going up the street to Duff's for some wings. ;D
Click to expand...

Poor thing... ;D

Seriously, though, you're lucky you were out in the burbs; had you been in any of the downtown Buffalo hotels, you'd have been in a sea of RF overload from the three big class B FMs (93.7, 96.1, 106.5) that transmit from the Rand Building, right in the heart of downtown and not tall enough to get the RF up and over the other tall buildings.
Click to expand...

I was in Amherst (sp?). Between getting back from Duff's a little after 9, and the 5:00am wakeup the following morning, it was a short night. All I got to do was a quick AM scan....and not a very thorough one at that.
 
You can forget AM DXing in Downtown Seattle. Since you are so close to Vashon Island and the other xmitters, you'll get intermod all over with most radios.

I live 2mi from KIXI 880, KKNW 1150 and KXPA 1540, so there goes 610, 1270 and 1420 for any DX, except to the E-W. Also I got a lot of spurs and intermod when I was in Union Gap, WA back in '08. KDYK 1020's xmitter was only a mileish away, so there went most of the AM band as well, and then the local TIS on 1610 [WQBV569] was no more than two blocks down the road with 10w.

There was one spot near the I-90 trail in Bellevue where I couldn't even get local KUOW 94.9 with an excellent radio at times, due to horrible intermod from KJR, KQMV and KRWM.

-crainbebo
 
On FM..the center if any major city. Just West of Philly on 476..overloaded dial. I was in Kingston,Ontario earlier this month and on AM picked up Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, Toronto and Ottawa quite clear on a Sangean pocket radio. Jersey Shore is great for AM..saltwater is wonderful.. I take my radio everywhere I go, and I'll take a walk and see what I can pick up. I've been doing this since I was a kid. You can't change old habits!
 
cyberdad said:
I was in Amherst (sp?). Between getting back from Duff's a little after 9, and the 5:00am wakeup the following morning, it was a short night. All I got to do was a quick AM scan....and not a very thorough one at that.
Click to expand...

Yup, I know the hotel you were at. Next time your journeys take you through western New York for a little longer, stop and say hello!
 
Most hotel rooms these days are horrible for DX. If I rent a car, I'll spend some time out in the parking lot with the car radio.
 
Scott Fybush said:
cyberdad said:
I was in Amherst (sp?). Between getting back from Duff's a little after 9, and the 5:00am wakeup the following morning, it was a short night. All I got to do was a quick AM scan....and not a very thorough one at that.
Click to expand...

Yup, I know the hotel you were at. Next time your journeys take you through western New York for a little longer, stop and say hello!
Click to expand...

Thanks, Scott. I've long been a fan of your newsletter and tower photos. I was in upstate NY for the baseball hall of fame induction weekend. A good time was had by all, but virtually every moment was spoken for.
 
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