Groeteschele
Member
I have Onkyo receiver to listen to FM radio locally but want to listen to American AM band skip channels. Help please.
What is best aerial to receive AM station From Germany to United States?
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doctordialtone
Member
Time of day and atmospheric conditions will have a huge influence on propagation.
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You'll need a good antenna:
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Ted’s Ultimate AM Radio Antenna
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Enjoy!
Either a very good loop or a lot of wire 
Long wires will work, if you have the room. Look into long wire, feedline and orientation.
Long wires will work, if you have the room. Look into long wire, feedline and orientation.
ka3jjz
Wiki Admin Emeritus
What is a 'skip' channel?
Anyway probably the most reliable way to listen to American MW is online via a web radio or the station's own website. Some host their own feed
Mike
Anyway probably the most reliable way to listen to American MW is online via a web radio or the station's own website. Some host their own feed
Mike
I got the Pixel loop which works great through the QRM and QRN.....however if propagation is not happening it aint gonna happen. Especially for that band.
In one of the comments from links in message #2-
ka3jjz
Wiki Admin Emeritus
While it's possible in theory, in practice it's a whole lot harder than this to get TA (TransAtlantic), especially when dealing with an European;
a. Their band plan spaces frequencies, I believe 8 khz apart - we're at 10 khz. It sounds like the OP is using an old stereo or a similar, neither of which is going to be able to handle the selectivity necessary to split this difference - even with a loop or a really long longwire. There will be some slop or hets to deal with Some portables do have a switch to enable 8 khz spacing. A good quality SDR or desktop might do the job
b. It's a lot harder to do TA when you are far inland. Being near the ocean is a definite advantage. Just look at Guy Atkin's many DXpeditions to the Pacific NW coast where he regularly bags Pacific Island and Japanese MW stations from Washington state or Oregon.
c. Finally we're getting ever closer to summer, with its higher low frequency absorption and Thunderstorms.
All this doesn't mean it isn't possible, but the difficulty level goes up considerably with these conditions...Mike
a. Their band plan spaces frequencies, I believe 8 khz apart - we're at 10 khz. It sounds like the OP is using an old stereo or a similar, neither of which is going to be able to handle the selectivity necessary to split this difference - even with a loop or a really long longwire. There will be some slop or hets to deal with Some portables do have a switch to enable 8 khz spacing. A good quality SDR or desktop might do the job
b. It's a lot harder to do TA when you are far inland. Being near the ocean is a definite advantage. Just look at Guy Atkin's many DXpeditions to the Pacific NW coast where he regularly bags Pacific Island and Japanese MW stations from Washington state or Oregon.
c. Finally we're getting ever closer to summer, with its higher low frequency absorption and Thunderstorms.
All this doesn't mean it isn't possible, but the difficulty level goes up considerably with these conditions...Mike
Is there a possibility that the station(s) you are interested in stream over the internet? Much more reliable or possible than receiving over the air.
I think Europeans use 9Khz spacing for MW.
is a good site for MW DX info
Long Beach Island DXpedition Home Page
www.radiodxing.com
is a good site for MW DX info
ka3jjz
Wiki Admin Emeritus
Good enough and this makes the issue of selectivity (and having some good notches or passband tuning) a real must...Mike
Groeteschele
Member
Thank you all for answers. Yes to listen to remote radio station from global tuners and kiwi radio members is sort of like what you say shooting your fish in a barrel. No challenge but it is good enough if you really want to listen to content of radio music genre or dialog of international politics and stuff. I heard of Streema and will check that out. Right now I am listening to reports of bad fire in Russian radioactive exclusion zone right now. Thank you all very much.
majoco
Stirrer
The radio is not so important as the antenna and antennas for MW Dxing aren't something you can put in a suburban house lot. Go to...
..to read about someone who is a bit nearer to you for some good and interesting info.
Kongsfjord DX homepage
www.kongsfjord.no
..to read about someone who is a bit nearer to you for some good and interesting info.
For Transatlantic DX, your best bet would probably be high power Canadian stations in Ontario, Quebec, or the Maritimes that beam their nighttime signals to the Northeast towards you. However, you mentioned American stations so we will go with that.
You will need a receiver capable of receiving stations on 10kc channels per the North American band plan (Europe is 9kc spacing).
Next, the propagation has to be right. This means a dark nighttime path between you and the U.S. Unfortunately, this time of year marks the beginning of thunderstorm season and the static they produce. Also you will need a good antenna such as a loop or lots of wire ("longwire")..
The following is a list of Eastern U.S. clear channel stations that run 50000 watts (maximum power) 24 hrs a day and have a nighttime pattern that is either an omnidirectional pattern or one that is directed your way.
660 WFAN NYC NY
770 WABC NYC NY
810 WGY Schenectady NY
850 WEEI Boston MA
880 WCBS NYC NY
1010 WINS NYC NY
1050 WEPN NYC NY
1080 WTIC Hartford CT
1090 WBAL Baltimore MD
1110 WBT Charlotte NC
1170 WWVA Wheeling WV
1180 WHAM Rochester NY
1200 WXKS Newton MA
1210 WPHT Philadelphia PA
1500 WFED Washington DC
1520 WWKB Buffalo NY
1560 WFME NYC NY
Alles gut !
You will need a receiver capable of receiving stations on 10kc channels per the North American band plan (Europe is 9kc spacing).
Next, the propagation has to be right. This means a dark nighttime path between you and the U.S. Unfortunately, this time of year marks the beginning of thunderstorm season and the static they produce. Also you will need a good antenna such as a loop or lots of wire ("longwire")..
The following is a list of Eastern U.S. clear channel stations that run 50000 watts (maximum power) 24 hrs a day and have a nighttime pattern that is either an omnidirectional pattern or one that is directed your way.
660 WFAN NYC NY
770 WABC NYC NY
810 WGY Schenectady NY
850 WEEI Boston MA
880 WCBS NYC NY
1010 WINS NYC NY
1050 WEPN NYC NY
1080 WTIC Hartford CT
1090 WBAL Baltimore MD
1110 WBT Charlotte NC
1170 WWVA Wheeling WV
1180 WHAM Rochester NY
1200 WXKS Newton MA
1210 WPHT Philadelphia PA
1500 WFED Washington DC
1520 WWKB Buffalo NY
1560 WFME NYC NY
Alles gut !
Groeteschele
Member
Thank you again. I have listened to American AM radio stations on remote SDR websites. I find much more excitement listening to USAF EAM transmissions. You have a thread on military forum about them here on Radioreference and I found more other forums that have files you can listen to from past times. This is quite fascinating like the Day After and War Game movies. I now know what you say the bug bit me with these signals. I will now know my niche it is said I like? Yes. Now may I ask one final favor. What is good shortwave radio and antenna to receive EAM frequencies. I know the frequencies they are USB 11,175 day time and nightime, 15,016 khz daytime and 6,739 khz for nightime.
Ubbe
Member
I've heard good things about Tecsuns receivers 660 and 880. I have a radioShack DX394 and a Icom R75 and used them with a ALA loop and a 7 meter wire. The 394 where bought second hand for €50 and I modified it by snipping a wire to get rid of the mute function when changing frequency and added a diode and a capacitor, that might not be necessary to do. I had both receivers connected to a splitter so they received the same signal.
Sometimes the R75 recieved slightly better and at other times the 394. They where pretty much equal. The ALA loop where €300 and the balun for the wire €25 and they receive about the same but the loop had much lower overall signal level that needed the receivers gain to be increased but the signal to noise relations where about the same. So the R75 and loop where €1000 and the 394 and the wire where €75 and gave more or less the same result.
The R75 could scan memorised channels and wait a few second at each frequency and if I heard something I could go back to the frequency and listen. The 394 couldn't scan and you had to push buttons 0-9 to recall 10 memory positions. You could swith banks and get another 10 channels.
The USAF transmissions are usually sent in parallell from their bases in Germany so you should have no problem to receive that, but the aircrafts might need a better antenna if they are not over europe. But they are on high altitudes so are easier to hear than most stations on ground, like ships and amateurs.
/Ubbe
Sometimes the R75 recieved slightly better and at other times the 394. They where pretty much equal. The ALA loop where €300 and the balun for the wire €25 and they receive about the same but the loop had much lower overall signal level that needed the receivers gain to be increased but the signal to noise relations where about the same. So the R75 and loop where €1000 and the 394 and the wire where €75 and gave more or less the same result.
The R75 could scan memorised channels and wait a few second at each frequency and if I heard something I could go back to the frequency and listen. The 394 couldn't scan and you had to push buttons 0-9 to recall 10 memory positions. You could swith banks and get another 10 channels.
The USAF transmissions are usually sent in parallell from their bases in Germany so you should have no problem to receive that, but the aircrafts might need a better antenna if they are not over europe. But they are on high altitudes so are easier to hear than most stations on ground, like ships and amateurs.
/Ubbe
Groeteschele
Member
Thank you much. I will look into Tecsun 880 radio. I wish Alinco DX8 had scan feature like expensive Icom R75. Thank you.
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