What was I hearing ??

[buckeyeair]

I am a new member here as well as new to thw SWL/MW hobby......
Last night at 0630 UTC I was listeneing to MW on my ICOM (without a proper MW antenna) and from my central Ohio USA location I picked up WMVP (ESPN RADIO) out of Chicago Il. on freq. 1000 then WLAC out of Nashville Tn. on freq. 1510 then scanning up the band I came across a station at freq. 1540 that was speaking Spanish or French (I don't know any thing but English) and I listened for close to an hour and could not hear any call letters at least that I could understand....the signal was very strong (S-8 or S-9) most of the time then it would fade almost entirely away then return again...was I hearing some sort of skip? I have not heard of any forieghn speaking MW stations in my area although I am new at this hobby. Any ideas?? Thanks
73's
glenn (buckeyeair

[Mike-CT]

Nothing really jumps out.
Bookmark this link: http://topazdesigns.com/ambc/
I searched 1540 for Spanish. Six stations popped up but with hardly any power at night. Usually on 1540 we'd get KXEL in Waterloo plus WDCD Albany NY but those formats don't fit. ZNS Bahamas is also there, but it's not Spanish.

You had some kind of DX, but who? French doesn't make sense on 1540 either. I wonder if you caught some US Spanish daytimer with high power on all night by mistake.

[cd637299]

<Horshak's hand up> Oooh! Oooh! Mr. Kotter! I know I know....

I'd almost bank this, 99% sure, it is CHIN in Toronto. www.chinradio.com ---30kw

Amazing how they got approval for nighttime....they were a daytimer for many many years, and the 1540 signals of KXEL & WDCD must be killing it.

cd

[buckeyeair]

Mike and cd;
Thanks for the replies;
I'll bet you are corect cd-----I will try tonight and see if I can catch it again......can't wait to get a proper antenna for MW----this is interesting....
73's
glenn (buckeyeair)

[cd637299]

On the website, you can see that CHIN streams....just check it against what you hear....keep in mind that the Web is a few seconds behind, which really is beneficial to you.

However I do believe that CHIN AM & FM have separate programs....check the schedule in the site.

Let us know.

cd

[cd637299]

Site sez you can listen to either stream....so there ya go.

cd

[buckeyeair]

Same -Same last night.....I tried to listen today and got nothing but static...not even one of the three Ohio 1540 Am stations..(man I need to get a MW antenna !!)...there program schedule says that they will be broadcasting in English from 1:00 Am to 2 Am this (Thursday) evening....I will give that a try as well as listen to there streaming audio at the same time.
Thanks for the tip cd......
73's
glenn (buckeyeair)

[Russ-PA]

What are your options for an antenna ? How much land is available ? trees ? etc. Another consideration is proximity of strong local stations which would impact the choices.

[buckeyeair]

Russ:
Thanks for your reply and inquiry......
I am very limited to antenna space since we live in a
condo-community and outside antennas are not allowed.
I currently have a 33' multi wired sloper in my attic that was built by Lowbander on Ebay and it works fairly well for SWL but is lacking as far as an MW antenna is concerned...I also have purchased an 80' long wire antenna also built by Lowbander for SWL comparisons with the 33' sloper and intend on mounting it in a L or U configuration (I understand that's not ideal) in the attic as well, as soon as my son stops by for a visit as I am in a wheelchair and can't very well climb the attic stairs :D I have read up on Loop type antennas such as the TERK AM 1000 Advantage--CCrane Twin Coil AM Ferrite--Wellbrook Loops--and the Quantum QX by DX Tools Inc. and am as of yet undecided as to what my next purchase will be.....I don't really feel confident enough yet to build my own loop although I have heard from several that it is easy and making a frame of some sort and wrapping it with wire sounds easy enough but when they talk of adding resistors or capacitors etc. I get a little quizzy in the tummy.....:(
any suggestions are welcome........
73's
glenn (buckeyeair)

[cd637299]

Try the Select-a-Tenna. I have one, but because of the buzz in this house, it isn't much good here.

I took it to Bermuda in 2005 with a Superadio II & III....Let's just say, that I was able (in the daytime) to hear stations from Boston to Miami to Cuba to Puerto Rico.

cd

[buckeyeair]

[QUOTE=cd637299;7088]Try the Select-a-Tenna.---
Thanks cd----I will check that out as well
---I took it to Bermuda in 2005 with a Superadio II & III....Let's just say, that I was able (in the daytime) to hear stations from Boston to Miami to Cuba to Puerto Rico.---
WOW----you must have done something right...:)
Thanks and 73's
glenn (buckeyeair)

[buckeyeair]

What are your options for an antenna ? How much land is available ? trees ? etc. Another consideration is proximity of strong local stations which would impact the choices.
Russ;
I noticed in your signature at the bottom left that you have an ONKYO T450RDS listed.....is that a receiver and are you using it for a MW-DXing machine??
I have an ONKYO TX-SV727 and it never dawned on me to try to use the AM and chase freq's with it.........I used it several years ago for a home theater SS system and it has been collecting dust since we bought this Condo a couple of years ago..........
73's
glenn (buckeyeair)

[Russ-PA]

I expect an L would do better than the sloper, but for your situation some kind of loop would be best. What kind depends on a lot of things. As you probably know, there's a wide difference in price - and in performance - between the Quantum and several of the others you mentioned. ( I don't see a Wellbrook for you either although they're excellent.)

You'll see a great deal of improvement with one of the lower-priced loops, but more with the Quantum, which could always be a later upgrade.

Building a loop is fairly easy, and connecting the capacitors is also. Diagrams and photos are available on line.

Good luck !

[buckeyeair]

Russ;
I intend to install the longwire in the opposite direction as the sloper some what....since my attic is not huge...I am hoping that with the L or U configuration that the two don't interfer with each other....I have heard that the long wire should do better....we will see. It would seem if it where installed in a U fashion, that it would be somewhat directional towards the open end...???
As far as a loop goes for MW I have been looking very closely at the Quantum QX-2 and it looks as though, as you mentioned, that it would suit my needs and the ability to change heads for LW and Carribean DXing is a nice option...a bit pricey but no doubt worth it. Since I am using an ICOM R70 and a R.S. DX-394 both with 258 ,50 ohm ant. connections it would be no problem hooking it up on my A-B-C- antenna swith and running it to either radio. I also have an MFJ 1020-C active ant. and tuner that it was suggested by another fellow on another forum to install it inline between the Ant. A-B-C switch and the radio A-B-C- switch giving me the option to either tune the signal or bypass the MFJ.........
Have a GREAT weekend.....
73's
glenn (buckeyeair)

[buckeyeair]

Thanks to cd...I was able to verify the signal at 1540
as being CHIN in Toronto by tuning it in night before last and listening to there streaming audio at the same time...there is a rather large delay between the two but it was definetly CHIN.....Thanks Chris
73's
glenn (buckeyeair)


<Horshak's hand up> Oooh! Oooh! Mr. Kotter! I know I know....

I'd almost bank this, 99% sure, it is CHIN in Toronto. www.chinradio.com ---30kw

cd

[cd637299]

You're welcome & thanx....

As much as DX isn't what it used to be, due to addition of so many more stations, and in AM's case, computer noise, buzz and the like, we are in a great era, in the sense that we have Internet streaming to verify quite a lot of unIDs.

I ID'd a couple of Panamanian FMs & a Mexican or two this way.

Add to that, local logo bugs on TV (that would be "unID's" if not for them), and all kinda Internet resources, and of course info on digital TVs that can ID for ya, DXing can be a snap in these days.

cd

[buckeyeair]

Through out my lifetime, I have been involved in several different hobbies and most of the other hobbiest offer very little if any help to the new members to enable them to learn and progress and you are left to learn it on your own....I have found that the SWL folks such as yourself and others on this forum as well as another are more than willing to help and tutor us 'newbies' and it is MUCH appreciated......
THANK YOU
73's

[tvdxrools]

hi you could try a indoor flag antenna like the one i use here in scotland its a rectangle of 7 feet high and about 15 feet long with a 48/11 turn balun in the middle of the vertical leg i want the max direction and on the middle of the other vertical leg i either use a 560 ohm fixed resistor or a 2k variable resistor for the back null . for a simple antenna it has a amazing back null and it brings in the dx for me from over your side of the pond here in scotland. have a look here to see some of my receptions using the indoor flag
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=tvdxrools&view=videos
hope this helps cheers david ... sorn ayrshire scotland

[buckeyeair]

Thanks for your reply David;
I clicked on your link and saw many QSL's and equipt. videos and a video of phasing two flag antennas but I missed the one of your 'Wall Flag'--I am rather new at this sort of thing and probably just missed it..I have ordered a Quantum QX Loop v 2.0 and coupler from DX Tools for MW and will see how that helps my reception..
73'
glenn (buckeyeair)

[tvdxrools]

hi its not a "wall" flag its just a normal flag antenna but made smaller so that it can fit in my attic and the links on youtube were just to show you that for a simple antenna its really working good. good luck with the new antenna cheers david ... scotland

[buckeyeair]

David;
Thanks for the explanation--can you tell I'm a novice at this hobby..:o
73's
glenn (buckeyeair)


hi its not a "wall" flag its just a normal flag antenna but made smaller so that it can fit in my attic and the links on youtube were just to show you that for a simple antenna its really working good. good luck with the new antenna cheers david ... scotland

[CS@Illinois]

You could have been hearing KXEL if the program was in Spanish. In the evening there is a religious broadcast on there in Spanish. If it were in Italian, then it would have been Toronto.

[buckeyeair]

Thanks for the reply--it was definetly CHIN out of Toronto as there streaming audio matched the broadcast that I was receiving...thanks anyway for the info. on KXEL..
73's
glenn (buckeyeair)


You could have been hearing KXEL if the program was in Spanish. In the evening there is a religious broadcast on there in Spanish. If it were in Italian, then it would have been Toronto.