AM DX logs here!

[k9rzz]

With the news of that big solar flare yesterday, that motivated me for some strange reason to break out the Icom R-71a and tune around. My R-71a is getting old and has become somewhat of a basket case, but I'm finally getting around to fixing her up. She's a thorough bred having substantial mods, I think the most important being a 5.5khz Kiwa Premium Filter Module (Kiwa 455kHz Filter Modules) that improves not only the selectivity, but the ultimate rejection as well. However, I believe the caps in the PS are shot as it takes 30 mins for it to warm up and start actually receiving, then it works great for an hour, followed by heavy distortion as the VCO caps go kaput.

The VCO caps I have, so it's just a matter of sitting down and replacing them, and for the power supply, I'll try to run it on 12VDC first before I tear into that.

Initially, I was excited that we might have some great auroral conditions and I might get to hear some deep south DX, but when I heard on WWV that the K was only 3 ... pfffft. So much for that. Radio Encyclopedia from Cuba was heard faintly on 530khz, the Cuban - Radio Reloj ("Tick Tock" and morse "R R" heard) was actually pretty good on 570, but there was no sign of Mexico City on 730 or 1060. Tuning up the band, I stopped on 1610 and ON TOP OF the local travel information network, I heard Mexican music.

HUH?

Our local TIS is a system of 6 transmitters around the city, so there is no way to null them with a loop, and since that has been installed, I've never heard anything else on that frequency. So, hearing music, Mexican at that, really was a shock. It took a while, but I finally got a partial ID of something something "HH" and looking that up, it turns out to be Voces Latinas, CHHA, Toronto, Canada (CHHA-AM Radio Station Information). Kind of a let down, but any new station heard has to be a thumbs up.

So that was my excitement. Looking forward to getting the R-71a back on the air. With the 12 volts DC option, it will make for a great portable DX machine. I'm getting the itch to head back up north again for some wire stringing!

Shortwave DXpedition - Project: Clam Lake - YouTube

 

[kilokat7]

This CME turned out to be a real dud for me in regard to MW DX. I've only experienced one real good au opening since DXing for the last three years that brought in stations from the deep South. This was on April 8th, 2010 and it netted my first reception of Florida (1330 WEBY) and my one and only from Puerto Rico (680 WAPA) plus a bunch of others from the South. It times like that when an SDR is extremely valuable. I captured the whole event with the SDR, from 530 to 1700 khz and it's still neat to play back that recording and hunt for stations that I might have missed the first time around. The am dial sounded completely different that night with stations only faintly heard, and what was heard was nothing familiar to me. I remember having to check the antenna to make sure it was plugged into the radio! Anyway, no such fun this time around.

 

[k9rzz]

I hear you. I still want to get an SDR one day for the recording benefits.

Your comments remind me of the first time I used a BOG. ~700 ft long aimed towards Cuba and tuning across the band I could barely hear New York, Boston, or Detroit. I was thinking this antenna SUCKS!
Then I stumbled across 1620 WDHP in Frederiksted, British West Indies - S9 and all alone. Then I was saying this antenna ROCKS!

By the way, that was with a little Palstar R-30a and only 2 miles from a 5kw local. Sweet little radio.

 

[corbintechboy]

Here is me playing around.

Cuba? Over 1000 miles?

VID-20120125-00000 - YouTube

 

[kilokat7]

Here is me playing around.

Cuba? Over 1000 miles?

VID-20120125-00000 - YouTube

Yup, that's definitely Radio Reloj from Cuba - the time pips and "RR" in morse is the dead giveaway.

I just caught a new one on 660: XEEY "La Consentida" out of Mexico.

 

[corbintechboy]

Thanks for the confirmation,

Can't wait till I get the QX loop, things will be much more fun .

 

[ridgescan]

Wow I finally increased my best MWDX distance of 960 miles just now 0706utc. on 1440kHz AM I am getting ESPN Radio (KPUR) out of Amarillo, Texas at 1160 miles there IS hope for me after all!
also 1630 just IDd as XEUT out of Tijuana at 474 miles playing 'classical' music! That threw me bigtime as I tried to locate a classical type station-serves me right for assuming Spanish folks couldn't appreciate that music. Neat.

 

[ridgescan]

another ok DX here 770 KKOB Albequerque, NM 895 miles beautiful signal
AM Radio Long Distance - YouTube

 

[kilokat7]

another ok DX here 770 KKOB Albequerque, NM 895 miles beautiful signal
AM Radio Long Distance - YouTube

Nice. KKOB is my hit list, but until WBBM turns off their IBOC hiss generator, I doubt I'll ever hear them.

 

[ridgescan]

thanks kat I hope you do get it one day as it is a more significant DX for you at 1200 miles

 

[safetyobc]

Long time scanner user, just getting into shortwave and AM DXing.

Using a beginner radio, the Kaito 1103 with stock antenna, here is what I got on January 20, 2011 around 10:00 p.m. CST

My location = Monticello, AR.

WBAP 850 AM - Dallas, TX - 293 miles

WWL 870 AM - New Orleans, LA 273 miles

KMOX 1120 - St. Louis, MO 356 miles

WLS 890 - Chicago, IL 614 miles

Not bad for my first time! Very exciting to hear stations from so far away!! All signals were clear as a bell, just as if I was in the city of the signals origin.

 

[safetyobc]

Picked up 1560 The Game out of Houston, TX this morning at 8:00 a.m. 340 miles from my location.

 

[kilokat7]

Long time scanner user, just getting into shortwave and AM DXing.

Using a beginner radio, the Kaito 1103 with stock antenna, here is what I got on January 20, 2011 around 10:00 p.m. CST

My location = Monticello, AR.

WBAP 850 AM - Dallas, TX - 293 miles

WWL 870 AM - New Orleans, LA 273 miles

KMOX 1120 - St. Louis, MO 356 miles

WLS 890 - Chicago, IL 614 miles

Not bad for my first time! Very exciting to hear stations from so far away!! All signals were clear as a bell, just as if I was in the city of the signals origin.

Nice going - welcome to MW dxing! Beware - it can be addictive! I just logged my 1,000th station this morning in three years of DXing - 900 KFAL Fulton, MO.

 

[safetyobc]

WOW! 1000! It is very addictive. I have been an avid scanner user for several years. Kinda getting tired of the public safety side. Expanding into SWL and AM. Can't decide if I want to save up and buy a new R75 or go with a used HF Receiver of some type?

Thanks again!

 

[corbintechboy]

CIAO 530 Toronto,Canada
XEPL 550 Cuauhtemoc, México
Radio Reloj 570 Cuba
590 Santa Fe Mexico
XETA 600 Mexico
Radio PyME 620 Mexico
Suprema Radio 640 San Cristóbal de las Casas, CS, Mexico
Kirn Radio? 670 Iran?
? 693 ?

Just some logs from tonight. Some confirmed some just hunches. 693 I have no idea, was for sure not Spanish. Italian maybe?

Still awaiting QX loop. 100 foot long wire used.

 

[woebbers]

AM DX Gurus:

this morning at 1010UTC on 570 AM i picked up a spanish speaking station which was also combined with a time signal or morse ID in the transmission. they talked continuous for 10 minutes with no break or station ID. I picked this up from zip 19403 on my ICOM R-75 and my Grundig 800 so I doubt if Im getting birdies on 2 radios. Anyway, what station was it?

thanks for the help gang
Sal

 

[kilokat7]

AM DX Gurus:

this morning at 1010UTC on 570 AM i picked up a spanish speaking station which was also combined with a time signal or morse ID in the transmission. they talked continuous for 10 minutes with no break or station ID. I picked this up from zip 19403 on my ICOM R-75 and my Grundig 800 so I doubt if Im getting birdies on 2 radios. Anyway, what station was it?

thanks for the help gang
Sal

Sal, this would be Radio Reloj from Cuba.

 

[woebbers]

Thanks! I thought thats as well Kilokat but wasnt sure...Now that i know I found the website and I hear the morse Id ...interesting.....I seem to be getting better AM DX in the early morning hours then late at night

Sal

 

[k9rzz]

Driving down the road in the car. Caught these three bing, bang, boom around 7pm CST.

570khz Radio Reloj, Cuba with the familiar morse "RR"
580khz WIBW Topeka, KS local ads for Topeka
590khz KXSP Omaha, Neb with ESPN

 

[brandon]

1520 kokc

Good copy on 1520 AM KOKC (Oklahoma City, OK) here in California.
Audio: 1520-KOKC.mp3
Station ID towards end of audio clip.