How STRONG Is Brazil's "Amazonia's" Shortwave Service on 11780khz in Alaska?

[DXerPaulAK]

I'm roughly 6000 miles from their target zone. The transmitter runs 100KW, beaming at 312 degrees azimuth from a site NW of Brasilia and targets the Amazon region of Brazil about 1300 miles away. I am only 18 degrees North of the dead center of the main lobe and that, in the world of SW signals is nothing.. since many of them are fairly wide beams. Through a combination of exactly the right place thanks to amount of daylight, perfection for a 2nd/3rd hop, 11780 is regularly very listenable here and somewhat regularly, depending on the time of year... the signal just pounds in like a ton of led filled balloons.

So how about an example? Here's a video with audio fed directly from my radio into my camera.. no phone held up to the speaker. The signal was so good, I was able to open up my audio bandwith to 8khz. It sounded like FM Mono!

Here's a video:

6180 is also 100kw and beams at 239 deg to South America and can be quite good here late at night in the winter after the 0750UTC sign on. It is sometimes, but not often as good as 11780 before 0200UTC sign off.

I've also picked up several Portuguese words I can understand/repeat/speak as the host I interact with on air via WhatsApp voice notes has admitted his english is very poor. Mauricio Rabelo seems to be a very lively, well liked host. Both he and listeners have remarked on/noticed my use of Portuguese in an attempt to bridge a gap.

 

[TAC4]

Nice post with lots of distance data. All I know, like you they
come in like "lead filled balloons" here in Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦
Beautiful DXing park and state, cool radio setup 👍

 

[TAC4]

They are a needle bender right off the whip antenna.

 

[ditto1958]

I live in Wisconsin, quite a ways from Alaska, but also quite far from Brazil. I’m also really new at this, but Radio Nacional da Amazonia was one of my first distant catches and it’s often very strong and clear here.

 

[DXerPaulAK]

Nice post with lots of distance data. All I know, like you they
come in like "lead filled balloons" here in Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦
Beautiful DXing park and state, cool radio setup 👍

Ive been in touch with the director general of engineering of radio for EBC, the government cor[poration that owns them and hes sent me a ton of great pics!~

 

[ka3jjz]

Paul what is the radio and antenna - obviously a loop - you are using? Did you homebrew the loop or is it commercial?

Thanks...Mike

 

[DXerPaulAK]

Paul what is the radio and antenna - obviously a loop - you are using? Did you homebrew the loop or is it commercial?

Thanks...Mike

A wellbrook loop.. the ALA100LN, where i supplied the coax to make the loop. Its a TEF6686 "desktop" raido