How do I receive DX HD FM Stations?

[gccradioscience]

Hello,

I bought 2 HD radios for HD FM listening, but I have never received any far away DX stations in HD yet. How strong does the signal have to be in order for the radio to decode? I cannot get the local jazz station which is WJCD-HD there is a HD-2 station that broadcasts jazz music on there. I cannot get the Cool 92.1's HD signal in clear but I am able to get these all the time. When DXing, Its kinda unpredictable if the station will be strong enough to get the HD signal yet. My radios I use is the NS-HD01 and the HD-100 with amplified VHF/UHF antenna.

89.5 - WHRV-HD
90.3 - WHRO-HD
91.1 - WNSB-HD
94.9 - WPTE-HD
95.7 - WVKL-HD
101.3 - WWDE-HD
102.9 - WOWI-HD
104.5 - WNVZ-HD
105.3 - WKUS-HD
106.9 - WAFX-HD

Can someone help me out with this? I would appreciate it.

Adam Ebel

[K4NBF]

Hi Adam,

To understand HD reception you first must understand how the IBOC/HD system works.

Digital signals are broadcast on the upper and lower adjacent frequencies, and are decoded by HD tuners into audible digital signals. So on 92.1, there would be digital signals on 91.9 and 92.3 (the digital signals sound like high pitched static on an analog radio)

In order to receive a station in HD, at least one of the carriers on either side of the station must be strong enough for the tuner to decode the HD. If there is some kind of interference, or other stations occupying the adjacents, the HD will fail to decode. The signal of the actual station is irrelevant for HD - the adjacents are what's important.

If you want to listen to the HD, and your tuner has a signal meter, the digital adjacents should show up on the signal meter, despite sounding like high pitched static. Adjust your antenna to maximize the strength of the "digital static" on the adjacents, and you might be able to get a decode at their peak.

DXing HD is a crapshoot. If, for example, you are DXing a distant station on 93.9 that has HD, you MIGHT be able to see or decode the HD if you don't have other DX stations or locals on 93.7 or 94.1, given that the DX signals are strong enough for IBOC to make it through.

[spunker88]

So does that mean analog stations on adjacent frequencies harm the HD signal?

For example I can pull in a distant (~70mi) WNTQ with a directional antenna quite well since its 97kw ERP. But I also have a local, WCIZ at 93.3, and can usually get a halfway decent signal from CBBK on 92.9. Does this mean there would be no chance of getting WNTQ-HD, and even without those 2 stations on adjacent frequencies would HD decode at 70 miles away, I get the analog signal great. I dont own an HD radio yet.

I suppose it would be nearly impossible to get an HD FM signal to lock during e-skip, but during tropo when the signal is held steady and strong for hours upon end, it should be possible.

[k6sti]

At least one of the adjacent channels (+/-200 kHz) must be substantially clear to receive HD. There can be a little bit of audio in there and HD will still decode, but not if the adjacent signal is even half quiet.

I have decoded many HD callsigns via Es. The callsign will decode even if the audio won't lock. Like RDS, I find HD very useful during openings for identifying signals.

My Sony XDR-F1HD and Sangean HDT-1X both requires a 29 dBf signal to reliably decode HD. This is 7-10 dB below the usual 50-dB quieting sensitivity for a typical stereo tuner. It is 10-15 dB above the 50-dB quieting sensitivity in mono. This is for the original digital sideband level of 20 dB below the analog carrier. Within a few years HD typically will be at least 6 dB more sensitive for most stations.

Brian

[pjdyer]

For several videos of my Sony XDR-F1HD decoding FM HD during 2009 Es events just search YouTube with my call and the model. There are some examples where the Sony LCD has the HD ident, but the audio is from a local/semi-local. A few even go into full HD decode (i.e., any subchannels will appear).

73, Pat - WA5IYX

[dlp85x]

Does all of those stations you listed, Adam, run HD (especially WPTE)? Intersting--I thought they didn't!

I have found that HD radio via tropo isn't that reliable at all. I am fairly close to you Adam (I'm right outside of Wash. DC), so our regional reception conditions are probably somewhat similar. I rarely get reliable signals from non-local HD FMs. Some of the Baltimore and Richmond HD FMs (at 50-80 miles away) do come in occasionally during strong Tr events, but it isn't common.

Another thing to note ...if you are able to get an Es opening with your HD radio, you might even get a HD signal right over a local that doesn't air HD radio. As long as the sidebands are free, the radio will decode the distant HD signal right over the local station. I even have received HD signals via Es from distant stations that are on the same channel as local stations that run HD. Check out the images (right column) here: http://home.comcast.net/~dlp85x/hdrdsimages.htm The two ones to note was WQUE 93.3 New Orleans HD right over local blowtorch WFLS, and WMIA 93.9 Miami over local WKYS...both WFLS and WKYS run HD.

[dlp85x]

I take that back about WPTE...I guess I should refer to the official iBiquity list than Wikipedia for which stations are in HD. :D

[Octavio]

I take that back about WPTE...I guess I should refer to the official iBiquity list than Wikipedia for which stations are in HD. :D

Hello David ,
How good do you think is HD - FM radio when compared with analog FM radio for DXing ?? . Im cuban , and live in Havana .
I wonder if its worth to invest in a HD radio to receive stations frm s Fla .
Regards,

[cd637299]

Octavio,

HD signals are only 1% power (generally) of the main station. I n the FL Keys there is only one HD station, 91.5 WKWM Marathon. 96.1 WRXK is HD but you will need good Tropo.

BTW, I had a question for you in the "Chat Room" section.....

cd

[w9wi]

Hello David ,
How good do you think is HD - FM radio when compared with analog FM radio for DXing ?? . Im cuban , and live in Havana .
I wonder if its worth to invest in a HD radio to receive stations frm s Fla .
Regards,

See Chris' reply about your chances of receiving HD Radio signals there.

I do think HD Radios are VERY good for receiving analog signals. (they have very good selectivity) Do the other HD Radio owners on this board agree?

[Mike-CT]

The Sangean HDT-1 has pretty good selectivity. The Sony XDR-F1HD has even greater selectivity. Both, especially the Sony, are great for analog FM DXing. If the FM band is very crowded where you live, invest in an XDR-F1HD

[cd637299]

Here is an HD Radio clip of WHDR 93.1's flip to soft AC on 12-26-2010. I still used cassette here, but it's the best quality. Sony XDR-F1HD is the radio.

cd

[pjdyer]

93.1 Miami with another format change ... seems that they were classical when I first got them 20 years ago (Es). An Apr 2009 tropo clip of the 1149-mile rocker
http://www.qsl.net/wa5iyx/ra/whdr_09.ra (from a C-90 tape)
With a 45-kw at 24 mi on 92.9 it might have been tougher w/o the XDR-F1HD :)

73, Pat - WA5IYX

[spunker88]

I agree go for a Sony XDR-F1HD. Its one of the best analog radios out there it sounds great, has the best selectivity Ive ever seen. I have a hard time putting up with those low quality 32 kb/s internet streams and HD streams when the Sony makes analog sound so much better.

[ai4i]

Intersting observation we made a while back is that if you preset an HD2 or higher and then tune in another station on the same frequency and go to that preset, it will not lock, even if the same station merely changes their call letter field.