AM DXing question

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dnlbrrg

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Not a lot of experience with AM DXing so this might seem like a really dumb question, but I have to ask.

I live in West Michigan and, while listening, I came across a radio station broadcasting in French. I do not speak French so it was impossible for me to get an ID or get a work that would give me a clue as to its origins.

Am I safe to assume this is coming from Canada?
 

Token

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Canada is the most probable, something from the Caribbean would be the next. Don't forget that within the US we have lots of different language programs also, so domestic is also possible.

Any questions like this should include the frequency and time UTC the signal was heard. For example if it was 1800 UTC the potential for DX would be small and it would be most unlikely to be anything from any great distance, so from just across the border in Canada or a domestic French language program would be most likely. However a time like 0300 UTC would open the door to locations like the Caribbean or something along those lines. A frequency might help narrow it down to a possible specific station.

T!
 

dnlbrrg

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I'll add that from now on.

Another question: do you guys have a way to ID a station that broadcasts in a language you don't understand?
 

kc9cra

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It is also possible that you are getting harmonics or induction from the shortwave band. I've come across that on some radios. I would hear foreign languages in the middle of the afternoon, but upon further inspection, I would hear "Radio Extior Espana". More than once, I picked up WWVB on mw, so I know that was some kind of ground problem or something. You may have the same issue here.
 

ka3jjz

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I'll add that from now on.

Another question: do you guys have a way to ID a station that broadcasts in a language you don't understand?

This is where belonging to clubs like the International Radio Club of America or the National Radio Club are invaluable assets - they often have information on specific stations that might use a common jingle or slogan (sometimes at the top or bottom of the hour) that points you in the right direction. Undoubtedly there are also chat lists for MW DXing that would be a valuable source of information

It seems odd but I know more than a few DXers have taken language courses at their local university - identifying a particular language (or a program in a specific language) might be a clue as to what station you are hearing. This takes time in actually listening, not just hearing, the station. Again, belonging to a club makes it easier to identify these foreign language programs since others might report hearing the same thing.

The IRCA and NRC are the 2 best known MW DXing clubs in North America (really, they have a worldwide reputation), and for our Canadian friends, the Ontario DX Association also dabbles in this world. We have links for them, and much more, in our wiki...

MW DXing and Broadcasting - The RadioReference Wiki

best regards..Mike
 

ridgescan

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You can also go in here and give your home location to tailor it to you Radio Stations in San Francisco, California.

scroll to bottom and key your frequency into frequency box and it will bring up what stations are on that frequency. Most of those stations' callsigns are a link to their website where you can click on "listen live" and verify if the content you hear there is what you have on your radio:)
 

satosi

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I know some French, if you hear it again get a recording and I could try to ID it. Don't hope for anything good, I haven't taken French since high school.
 

n5ims

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It's best to listen at the top of the hour (plus or minus about 5 minutes or so) for the station's legal ID. While most times you'll get something like "Hot Rock 99", the legal ID will be the station's actual call letters like this one you may recognize (tophour audio: Grand Rapids MI) although some countries don't require a station to ID every hour, which can make it more difficult for them.

If you listen closely it often isn't too hard to pick out the call letters even in a foreign language, like this one from XEMO in Tijuana Mexico http://www.tophour.com/audio/San Diego CA/am0860_2008-11_xemo_gwollman.mp3 (Equis A Emm-a Oh)

To help "decode" the alphabets in other languages, you can try this for Spanish (alfabeto - Spanish alphabet or The Spanish Alphabet - Spanish for Beginners) or this for French (French language, alphabet and pronunciation or Learn French Alphabet, Pronunciation | Learn French Language Guide).

Another thing you might do is to google the frequency to see what comes up (like AM 880 which brought up for me this Google) where you can click around on what sounds close to what you're hearing. Or if you recognize the area the station might be in you can try this RadioStationWorld - North America Radio and Television Broadcasting
 

ka3jjz

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If you really want to sit down and learn how to identify languages, the Series 2 CD from Ian McFarland and DXer.ca will do it. These CDs are descriptions of 55 of the world's major languages from the late Dr. Richard Wood, who was a noted linguist. Last I heard, before he retired, he was the head of the linguistics department at the University of Hilo, Hawaii. Dr.Wood was also a very well known MW DXer. Here's the URL;

DXer.ca CD Store

All the proceeds from the sale of CDs go to a local food bank in Duncan BC...no this is not an ad, although it might sound like that. Ian is a very old friend of mine, and I'm happy to give him a little extra exposure. If you have the chance to mention it, tell him Mike Agner sent you

best regards...Mike
 

W9NES

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I would like to let the fourm members of this group know that not only being a Ham Radio Operator but I also do AM dxing at night from my bed with a Sony walkman with with headphones so I can listen late at night while the wife is sleeping.The member of this fourm asked about a Radio Station in Canada.This would be CBC Radio. Canadian Broadcasting Corp. I hear that station all the time on the AM band at night.
 

kilokat7

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Not a lot of experience with AM DXing so this might seem like a really dumb question, but I have to ask.

I live in West Michigan and, while listening, I came across a radio station broadcasting in French. I do not speak French so it was impossible for me to get an ID or get a work that would give me a clue as to its origins.

Am I safe to assume this is coming from Canada?

Not a dumb question at all. As a fellow West Michigander who loves to DX the AM band, it was likely coming from Canada. These stations are heard regularly here at night on 540 and 860, and French sports can also be heard here on 730 coming out of Quebec. Two others from Quebec that broadcast in French that also make it here are on 800 and 1670.

A really good resource to help narrow a station down based on network, a slogan, format, language, etc. is this site:

Canada/US AM Station Info Lookup Page

Go there, key in the frequency you are listening to and look at the results. It will list all stations on that particular frequency. You can then filter those results by language, format, etc. to really help you ID a station. The database is frequently updated and maintained by a fellow DXer. The site is good for both Canadian and US medium wave stations.
 

eorange

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Kinda related to Canadian AM DXing...

Back in the early 90's, I had a small color TV set with rabbit ears and rotary channel dials (one for channels 2-13 and one for the UHF channels). Every now and then I would pull in French and Asian speaking channels, clear as channel 3 here in Cleveland. I was blown away and wondered where the heck they came from. I later saw references to London, Ontario on English-speaking channels and figured it out.

Still will never forget that!
 

k9rzz

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Dec 12, 2005
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Milwaukee, WI
Back in the heyday of Soviet supremacy of the airwaves, I heard Radio Moscow in the medium wave band on my Hallicrafters S-40B.

HOLY COW!

RADIO MOSCOW???

COOL !!

Once I calmed, I realized it was a image.

Aww ... bummer. :^/
 
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