HD-100 - AM/FM HD Radio

[gccradioscience]

I bought an HD-100 for to get started in HD AM DXing, and the darn thing will not receive any weak signals such as WCBS-AM, WOR-HD, and WRVA-HD, but I sure hear the hash between stations, which makes me frustrated cause I cannot lock into them. It did at least lock onto one station locally WJOI-AM, the other ones I cannot on to. I used an loop antenna called the AN-200 a Grundig loop antenna made for portable radios. They recommend a Terk AM loop antenna for it, I tried it and it still did not lock in, the blue LED light just flashes, flashes, flashes. Is there any solutions on how to get distant AM HD stations? Do I need a bigger loop antenna with a low noise pramplifier. BTW, thank goodness that there is a AM DXing section here. I need to learn more on how to improve AM-HD reception.

[cd637299]

Not much consolation, but I am sure that it's the same all around. I own the Sony XDR-F1HD. Only 2 Miami AM stations have HD now, Radio Disney 990 & WSUA 1260. I am just not close enough to the 990 transmitter to *ever* have heard it in HD...and as far as WSUA, I get the HD in daytime, but not much signal at night.

I do not DX AM that much anymore....but KMOX 1120 keeps blinking the HD, but won't lock in.

www.radio-info.com/boards/ has an HD Radio discussion board that seemingly 80% of readers complain about HD....I can't say I blame them, if I DX. One thread is about how that many AM stations have "called it quits" trying to push HD on the public. WQAM 560 Miami gave up a few months ago.

cd

[Russ-PA]

Of course the problems you've both described are part of why it was such a hard sell. The way signals propagate on AM isn't conducive to the kind of hybrid digital transmission we have with IBOC. Also the digital powers are not large enough on AM to travel very far.

[spunker88]

The way the AM band works at night, I dont think there will ever be an efficient way to send a digital signal on it. The biggest problem is the cliff effect of digital. During the day via groundwave AM stations behave like FM in the fact that the signal stays consistent if the receiver isnt moved. But at night via skywave, Am signals act different. Im not sure what the exact terminology is, but many times especially on weaker stations the signal will fade slightly, then become strong, then fade slightly, etc.

Another issue is thunderstorms, the crackles heard by the lightning are enough to knock out the IBOC signal, as seen here and on many other videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej31AftNYy8

I really think the FCC should see that. During severe weather events, tornadoes, etc an IBOC signal would be unreliable if we were to ever get rid of analog AM. People wouldnt be able to get weather alerts and info they need. The above video appears to be local AM during the say, the clock on the radio reads 2PM, so this is not a skywave issue. This is a serious flaw in IBOC.

[John-DE]

I've only bagged one HD station on my Sony- WBZ in Boston. Nothing from Philly, Baltimore, DC or even nearby Wilmington (WWTX, WILM). I can decode WBZ but not KYW or WPHT, which are MUCH closer? What;s wrong with this picture?

[SlcDX]

Sorry to reactivate an old thread, but with the Sony XDR, the "wonder radio" as it is known, I am able to get KOA (285 miles) to lock but like John, KSL (a 50kw blowtorch only 152 miles awaY) will not. Meanwhile, 820 KUTR from a smidgen farther than KSL will lock just before they go to low power at night. I don't use the Sony XDR to DX AM HD because it isn't worth it. I use a regular analog Grundig S350.

[spunker88]

If you have a station to the east of you, such as I have WBZ Boston you can get them to lock in HD around dusk. Basically you take advantage of the fact that it gets dark earlier in the east and therefore AM stations from this direction go to skywave quicker. Of course if you have a local on that same frequency still broadcasting with daytime power it will defeat the purpose. I have had WBZ lock for a few minutes at dusk doing this.

At night KDKA makes it so WBZ won't lock and of course KDKA wont lock because of WBZ.

I have a really hard time getting WHAM 1180 Rochester to lock even though its about 100 miles away. This is probably due to skywave/groundwave interference.

My Sucessful HD Locks Via Skywave So Far:
WFAN
WOR
WCBS
KDKA
WBZ
KYW
WTIC
WHAM
WPHT
WQEW

All under 300 miles. I have gotten call signs to show up for Ohio stations WLW and WTAM, but never got them in HD. The furthest station I have got to "flash" HD was KMOX.