AM DX logs here!

[ab3a]

I like to listen to WSM in the winter months on my way to work in Maryland (I'm an early riser). They KNOW their signal gets out. In fact, it was one of the original "Clear Channel" broadcast stations from the old regulations. The overnight programming with Marcia Campbell is actually aimed at truckers who drive significant distances at night.

Your car radio is often a very good AM DX platform. Driving on highways in rural areas, you would be amazed at what you can hear. I've picked up lots of stations from up to 1000 miles in every direction. It's a bit more difficult these days because of the IBOC HD radio stuff that many stations spew. The extra noise is rather annoying.

 

[k9rzz]

If you roughly know when the antenna/power switch over is, you can hear it in the signal. There will be a very quick *OFF* then *ON*.

 

[kilokat7]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows CE, BrailleNote))

A quick question for the more experienced DX'ers: what time do AM stations typically switch from daytime power to nighttime power, for those that do so?

Generally it's around the station's local sunset time, but the times can and do vary. To get this information, I can't recommend this site enough:

Canada/US AM Station Info Lookup Page

Use the "Enter Callsign" box and key in the station's call letters that you're interested in. You'll then get some useful information about that station including their pattern switch times (under "SR/SS Times Today"). For me, this information is valuable when chasing stations out west, as I'm able to catch them here just before they change to night pattern (often at reduced power).

As K9RZZ said, you can often hear the change occur with a brief dropout in signal for local stations and with more distant stations you'll often loose the signal completely when they change to their night pattern. Unfortunately there seems to be a growing trend with stations "forgetting" to power down at night which just adds to the clutter on the AM dial at night and makes it more challenging for DXers to hear the far-away stuff.

 

[autovon]

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A quick question for the more experienced DX'ers: what time do AM stations typically switch from daytime power to nighttime power, for those that do so?

2 of the local stations that I listen to (KWMT and KTIC) power down around sunset. This changes throughout the year. So during the summer I get more listening time and in the winter it is shorter. KTIC goes dark, but KWMT goes down to around 100 watts. You can definitely hear the changeover, but sometimes when the band is good, it is hard to tell. Being on 540 helps too.

 

[eriepascannist]

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Thanks for the responses. D.C. is a pretty good distance from here, and so I would be quite happy if I received those stations in "night mode." I did hear WMAB again on my next sweep of the band, but deeper in the static; WTEM by that time had disappeared entirely. So I think they probably switched over sometime in between. I will check out the link and see what I can find!

 

[SkyPager]

Thank you for the ID, ive been trying to figure out who this is but im hearing two other stations on top of them. im also picking up a talk radio station on 1700 at night that likes to drift off frequency so im having to tune between 1698 and 1702 to continuously listen. I was also hearing a station last night on 1130 that kept IDing as Bloomberg Radio, listened for almost 45 minutes but no station ID, just Bloomberg Radio.

Might have been WBBR-AM from NYC. They ID as Bloomberg radio. You may have to listen to commercials or traffic reports to determine the city. Major roads in NYC are the FDR, Cross-Bronx, Van Wick (Wycke)

 

[eriepascannist]

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Heard just moments ago on 710 khz under WOR, a station in a foreign language. Sounded like either French or Spanish but I couldn't quite tell, might have been something else. Were playing music that had singing and a hiphop style or dance type beat. There was also some chatter between songs but lost the station as WOR boomed in. Likely from Canada, but any ideas?

 

[k9rzz]

AM-DX WestList

It's all a big crap shoot unless you can at least narrow down the language.

 

[eriepascannist]

Thanks K9. Using this site-
Canada/US AM Station Info Lookup Page

I did a search for both French and Spanish stations on 710 khz. No French ones turned up, and there were a few Spanish ones but all listed sports, news or talk, none music. I guess after those 2 languages I'd go with maybe eastern European, but by that point it's really impossible to say, as I said it was just barely there under WOR. I could only catch about every 3rd note or word.

Darn-should've recorded it! You never think to do that until afterwords.

 

[ridgescan]

Thanks K9. Using this site-
Canada/US AM Station Info Lookup Page

I did a search for both French and Spanish stations on 710 khz. No French ones turned up, and there were a few Spanish ones but all listed sports, news or talk, none music. I guess after those 2 languages I'd go with maybe eastern European, but by that point it's really impossible to say, as I said it was just barely there under WOR. I could only catch about every 3rd note or word.

Darn-should've recorded it! You never think to do that until afterwords.

not me HAAAAAA!

 

[eriepascannist]

There are exceptions to everything, my mistake! Should take a lesson out of this one from you Ridgescan.

Music on there was pretty good too! If you get sick of the same old country, pop, rock, etc wherever you turn these days- then this elusive 710 whatever it is would be for you! I have been listening to WOR for many nights now and never heard it before- will try in the future but probably never will again.

 

[ridgescan]

There are exceptions to everything, my mistake! Should take a lesson out of this one from you Ridgescan.

Music on there was pretty good too! If you get sick of the same old country, pop, rock, etc wherever you turn these days- then this elusive 710 whatever it is would be for you! I have been listening to WOR for many nights now and never heard it before- will try in the future but probably never will again.

oh I don't think I'd ever score NY from here-I cannot get further east than Colorado-I think the Sierra-Nevadas are keeping me boxed in or something. Anyways I'm enjoying your DXs keep them coming

 

[eriepascannist]

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Of course I did record an ident from WABC... makes you wonder.

Regardless also heard WBKN on 570 from Youngstown OH, and WLW on 700 was boomin' in. I also got WBT on 1110, my first catch fron N.C., and WPHT from Philly on 1210. An oldies station from WV operating on 690 khz, WELD, also was clear as a bell tonight. If my memory serves me they only do 3 kw, and at least up here the freq seems pretty empty otherwise- may be a good one for some other folks in the midwest/mid Atlantic to try. They are automated and almost always run the call between songs, but the music's great!

 

[ridgescan]

0258UTC 1380 KLPZ Parker, Az. at 518 miles and 2500 watts-let's see if they power down to their night wattage of 58 watts here at 0300...signal's the same.
0301 signal dropped off
0310UTC 750 KHWG Fallon, Nv. at 255 milkes and 250 watts
BTW both stations playing country songs-makes me wanna gas up the truck and go

 

[brandon]

I don't normally venture down into the AM broadcast range much, but this morning I happened to and ran across some carriers on the oddball 9 kHz spaced freqs. One of them was 972 kHz which I'm curious if anyone knows what it could be.

Here is a recording.
HDSDR_20120911_122514Z_972kHz_AF.mp3

It's extremely hard to make out but I thought it sounded like an Australian voice in there. Any ideas?

 

[BDM123]

Check this page and look under the 972 BC stations.

Asia radio stations: 950-980 kHz mediumwave

 

[kilokat7]

I don't normally venture down into the AM broadcast range much, but this morning I happened to and ran across some carriers on the oddball 9 kHz spaced freqs. One of them was 972 kHz which I'm curious if anyone knows what it could be.

Here is a recording.
HDSDR_20120911_122514Z_972kHz_AF.mp3

It's extremely hard to make out but I thought it sounded like an Australian voice in there. Any ideas?

Sounds like an Asian language to me, I don't hear any English in this clip. South Korea has a 1500 kw powerhouse on 972 that's often heard by west coasters, this could be what you have here.

 

[brandon]

I just listened again on my home computer with better speakers than laptop and yes absolutely your right it does sound Asian for sure. Had the antenna pointed that direction so it makes better sense too Wow that is pretty cool I may have to do more checking at that hour.

Also thanks BDM123 that is a great resource!

 

[Boombox]

I just listened again on my home computer with better speakers than laptop and yes absolutely your right it does sound Asian for sure. Had the antenna pointed that direction so it makes better sense too Wow that is pretty cool I may have to do more checking at that hour.

Also thanks BDM123 that is a great resource!

Sounds like Korean to me.

 

[Boombox]

Heard KTKN-930, Ketchikan, Alaska, early yesterday morning, playing an interesting mix of classic hits and pop hits. I don't hear Alaska very much. It even was coming in with a readable signal barefoot on my boombox.