[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: [IRCA] AM down the road
- Subject: Re: [IRCA] AM down the road
- From: "Jim" <jn97rk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2006 06:04:55 -0500
Hi,
Enjoying reading posts regarding the future of AM radio and how things were
back in the 1960's. The 'good old days' of DX opportunities, houses with
television antennas on top of the TV set or roof, cars with AM radios (no
FM), etc etc etc.
I guess if I am honest, it's all about trade offs. Receivers have never
been better than they are today. The Drake R8B has features we wished for
in the 1960's. I can remember imagining what it would be like DX'ing and
having a receiver with digital readout. How that would help, especially
with split frequencies. The old boat anchors I used in the 1960's were very
sensitive and pretty darned selective; though, a major drawback was not
knowing what specific frequency you were listening to. On shortwave, the
problem was magnified. Collins had a sensitive receiver with mechanical
digital readout (R-390A) that amazed DX'ers of the era; you needed a dolly
to transport it from one area to another.
Today, we have the Internet and access to all kinds of data about the hobby.
Back in the 1960's, we had no such thing and data came from printed
material, usually through the mail. Logbooks were of the paper variety. It
cost maybe 5 cents to mail a reception report. IRCA'ers had no way to
instantly trade information other than the telephone (no cell phones then)
and that got expensive.
In the 60's, most of our local AM stations left the air around midnight
EVERY NIGHT!!! On Monday mornings, I'm thinking NONE of our locals were on
the air.
Any mediumwave DX'er could hear The Star Spangled Banner (or Dixie) on a
regular basis meaning that you were going to catch a sign on, or sign-off
(meaning that you'd missed an ID). I used to tune around after midnight
listening for tones of stations testing. IRCA used to publish a list of
stations that did on the air frequency checks, opportunities to catch a new
one.
I could go on and on and on. It's been a long time since I purposely set my
clock for 3 am on a Monday morning. Things were still fairly interesting
back in the mid-1970's. Though since, sort of like what we experience
today.
Mediumwave is still intriguing to me. It will intrigue me for the rest of
my life. Same with other bands. Maybe we will see things gradually start
to revert to the way they were once upon a time. Digital modes may
eventually be a blessing to the mediumwave dx'er instead of a pain in the
neck (IBOC).
Hope you found these recollections and observations interesting.
73,
Jim Nall
http://www.n4fxc.com
----- Original Message -----
From: <irca-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, March 20, 2006 4:20 AM
Subject: IRCA Digest, Vol 23, Issue 89
> Send IRCA mailing list submissions to
> irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
> http://arizona.hard-core-dx.com/mailman/listinfo/irca
> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
> irca-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> You can reach the person managing the list at
> irca-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than "Re: Contents of IRCA digest..."
>
>
> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Re: Radio Mart? - 1180 power and pattern
> (Patrick Griffith, N0NNK / WPE9HVW)
> 2. Sunday Morning at Grayland (vroomski@xxxxxxxxxxx)
> 3. Re: AM down the road.. (Michael Hawkins)
> 4. New Catch on 1060 kHz (Dan Riordan)
> 5. DX TIP for WDXR (Patrick Martin)
> 6. Re: Sunday Morning at Grayland (Patrick Martin)
> 7. Re: New Catch on 1060 kHz (Patrick Martin)
> 8. Re: AM down the road.. (Patrick Martin)
> 9. DX Tips for WDXR (Patrick Martin)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sun, 19 Mar 2006 22:38:06 -0700
> From: AM-DXer@xxxxxxxxx (Patrick Griffith, N0NNK / WPE9HVW)
> Subject: Re: [IRCA] Radio Mart? - 1180 power and pattern
> To: irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Mailing list for the International Radio
> Club of America)
> Message-ID: <12450-441E3FBE-11174@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Content-Type: Text/Plain; Charset=US-ASCII
>
> Charlie, I have been checking the current job openings for the
> Broadcasting Board of Governors (VOA, Radio and TV Marti, and various
> support elements) weekly for years. I find it to be an interesting
> insite as to what the agency is doing. For example, VOA recently hired a
> number of TV producers and TV tech support personnel in the DC area. So
> they are ramping up for something involving video. The Office of Cuba
> Broadcasting in Miami presently has an opening for an Electronics
> Technician. One of the KSA requirements is a knowledge of aerostat-based
> TV broadcast transmission. I had heard rumors that the TV Marti aerostat
> in the Keys was destroyed by Katrina / Rita and would not be replaced.
> This job opening seems to contradict that rumor.
>
> Same holds true for the FCC. They have an interesting opening for a
> Cultural Resources Specialist. The duties for the position are unusual
> to say the least. Scott Fybush - you might want to check this one out.
> You can view these at www.usajobs.com/ and do an agency search.
>
> Much of eastern CO is under a winter storm warning tonight. Predictions
> range from 6" to 24" of snow by noon tomorrow.
>
> Patrick Griffith
> Westminster, CO
> http://community.webtv.net/N0NNK/
> http://community.webtv.net/AM-DXer/
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2006 06:16:14 +0000
> From: vroomski@xxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [IRCA] Sunday Morning at Grayland
> To: irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Message-ID:
> <032020060616.2935.441E48AE000C9A1F00000B77220073583407059C0301019D90@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Hello,
>
> Spent Saturday evening and Sunday morning at Grayland, WA. Since we took
> our two dogs we stayed in cottage 4 on the front part of the property.
> The Grayland DXers stay in the rooms near the beach. Ran 400' of 24 gauge
> speaker wire along the road that leads to the back rooms. Put a ground rod
> and terminating resistor on the far end and a balun and ground near the
> window at the cottage, First TP was Tahiti on 738 kHz at 0608 UTC. Radio
> Kirbati on 846 kHz was in at 0838 UTC. JJ powerhouse stations at 1200 UTC
> and 4RN 792 kHz Australia at 1218 UTC. Both Korea's heard 657 kHz and 864
> kHz for the North and 1566 kHz and the jammer on 1053 kHz for the South.
> Malaysia heard on 1475 kHz weak with a woman singing. First time I have
> been able to hear this one, have a local on 1480 kHz. The BOG worked
> well, until around 1400 UTC and the signals dropped suddenly. I could
> still hear TP's but the signals were barely S-1. Took the balun apart
> when I got home and found a broken wi!
> re. The High Performance active whip performed quite well. Was able to
> hear many of the stations heard on the BOG with the active whip. My wife
> and I had planned to drive through Idaho, Wyoming and Montana this coming
> June. Now my wife wants to spend the week at Grayland. Of course I
> agreed with her.
>
> Dennis Vroom
> Vancouver, WA
> JRC 545
> -------------- next part --------------
> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
> URL:
> http://arizona.hard-core-dx.com/mailman/private/irca/attachments/20060320/f31af275/attachment.html
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Sun, 19 Mar 2006 22:19:03 -0800 (PST)
> From: Michael Hawkins <downsized99@xxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: [IRCA] AM down the road..
> To: Mailing list for the International Radio Club of America
> <irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Message-ID: <20060320061903.81180.qmail@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> Just remember the words of Neil Young as you are turning the pages of your
> calendar...
>
> "Rust never sleeps."
>
> And while I'm at it...
>
> "Youth and skill are no match for experience and treachery."
>
> Mike
>
> Patrick Martin <mwdxer@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Craig,
>
> Yes, indeed at 57 now, I find the World a bit on the rough side too.
> Bring back the old days. Well of course, that will never happen. Driving
> by KVAS Astoria where I once worked over 30 years ago, all it holds now
> is a law office. The tower & transmitter is still there in the back of
> the building, but that is about it. The studio is silent, what there is
> left of it. It is all run out of the KAST site and KVAS (Now KKEE) is
> ESPN 24/7. Gone are the days of be walking into the station as Music
> Director going through the stacks of new records (long before CDs), and
> typing up the playlight on the old manual typewriter. Then going on the
> air playing the hits. I am sure the building has its ghosts too. My old
> boss, Chuck Farmer (owner/GM) passed away in the late 90s and his wife
> died a couple months ago. One company owns both AM stations in Astoria,
> New NW BCers. When I worked at KVAS, KAST was compitition. The guys on
> the air, a lot of them weren't even born when I worked at KVAS. The ones
> that were, they were young. But as you said Craig, you can bring back
> the past. Like my mother used to say "You can't go back, you can just go
> ahead" But think about it, 20-40 years away, these will be the good ol'
> days for the kids of today. They will be our age, and we will be history
> as Alan Roycroft used to say.
>
> 73,
>
> Patrick
>
> Patrick Martin
>
> Come to Seaside Oregon for the 2006 IRCA Convention! It will be held at
> the Comfort Inn on September 22-24,2006.
>
> _______________________________________________
> IRCA mailing list
> IRCA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> http://arizona.hard-core-dx.com/mailman/listinfo/irca
>
> Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the
> original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the
> IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers
>
> For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org
>
> To Post a message: irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Yahoo! Mail
> Bring photos to life! New PhotoMail makes sharing a breeze.
> -------------- next part --------------
> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
> URL:
> http://arizona.hard-core-dx.com/mailman/private/irca/attachments/20060320/01168037/attachment.html
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Sun, 19 Mar 2006 22:31:50 -0800 (GMT-08:00)
> From: Dan Riordan <dxmw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [IRCA] New Catch on 1060 kHz
> To: Mailing list for the International Radio Club of America
> <irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Message-ID:
> <32513250.1142836311228.JavaMail.root@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
> URL:
> http://arizona.hard-core-dx.com/mailman/private/irca/attachments/20060320/e0fb255a/attachment.html
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2006 00:04:49 -0800
> From: mwdxer@xxxxxxxxx (Patrick Martin)
> Subject: [IRCA] DX TIP for WDXR
> To: irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, NancyJohnson@xxxxxxxxxxx
> Message-ID: <25063-441E6221-18962@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Content-Type: Text/Plain; Charset=US-ASCII
>
> 1560 WQEW NY, NYC, good on top of KNZR with usual Radio Disney. ID
> at 0301 EST 3/20 "Radio Disney is WQEW New York". (PM-OR)
>
> Drake R8
> 1500' Eastern beverage
>
> Patrick Martin
>
> Come to Seaside Oregon for the 2006 IRCA Convention! It will be held at
> the Comfort Inn on September 22-24,2006.
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 6
> Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2006 00:07:42 -0800
> From: mwdxer@xxxxxxxxx (Patrick Martin)
> Subject: Re: [IRCA] Sunday Morning at Grayland
> To: irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Mailing list for the International Radio
> Club of America)
> Message-ID: <25063-441E62CE-18969@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Content-Type: Text/Plain; Charset=US-ASCII
>
> Great to hear you got some decent TP/DU DX while you were at the coast
> Dennis. The Fall (Sept/Oct) is the best time, but you can hear TPs any
> month out of the year out here.
>
> 73,
>
> Patrick
>
> Patrick Martin
>
> Come to Seaside Oregon for the 2006 IRCA Convention! It will be held at
> the Comfort Inn on September 22-24,2006.
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 7
> Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2006 00:16:10 -0800
> From: mwdxer@xxxxxxxxx (Patrick Martin)
> Subject: Re: [IRCA] New Catch on 1060 kHz
> To: dxmw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx (Dan Riordan), irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Mailing
> list for the International Radio Club of America)
> Message-ID: <25063-441E64CA-18974@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Content-Type: Text/Plain; Charset=US-ASCII
>
> Dan,
>
> Good going. Rare here because of CKMX generally. But during AU, a lot of
> stuff can pop in.
>
> 73,
>
> Patrick
>
> Patrick Martin
>
> Come to Seaside Oregon for the 2006 IRCA Convention! It will be held at
> the Comfort Inn on September 22-24,2006.
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 8
> Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2006 00:14:31 -0800
> From: mwdxer@xxxxxxxxx (Patrick Martin)
> Subject: Re: [IRCA] AM down the road..
> To: irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Mailing list for the International Radio
> Club of America)
> Message-ID: <25063-441E6467-18972@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Content-Type: Text/Plain; Charset=US-ASCII
>
> Mike,
>
> I always wished "What if I knew then what I know now" sort of thing. I
> wonder, if I had an R8 and a 1500' beverage, what would I have heard in
> 1965-70? One amazing thing in the early 70s for a time, 1400 was clear
> every MM. The nearest station that was all night MM on 1400 was
> Mansfield OH!! I caught the WNUE FL test on 1400 in 1971. Then there are
> the EWE antennas aimed at the Pacific/Asia today. But I think in that
> case, we are further ahead as the Pacific/Asians went to splits in 1978,
> so TPs are better now. The thought of logging Nepal, India, Bangladesh
> on MW in 1965 would have been nearly impossible. Especially since most
> of the stations there ran low power, and there weren't very many. So
> some things are better today.
>
> 73,
>
> Patrick
>
> Patrick Martin
>
> Come to Seaside Oregon for the 2006 IRCA Convention! It will be held at
> the Comfort Inn on September 22-24,2006.
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 9
> Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2006 01:20:05 -0800
> From: mwdxer@xxxxxxxxx (Patrick Martin)
> Subject: [IRCA] DX Tips for WDXR
> To: irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, NancyJohnson@xxxxxxxxxxx
> Message-ID: <23452-441E73C5-18928@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Content-Type: Text/Plain; Charset=US-ASCII
>
> 1620 WTAW TX, College Station, topping 1620 with promo for news
> "Every morning on WTAW" at 0401 EST 3/20 (PM-OR)
>
> 1660 WQSN MI, Kalamazoo, good on top of jumble with ESPN Sports.
> Spot for Boat Show in Kalamazoo at 0359 EST 3/20. ID just before TOH "AM
> 16-60 WQSN Kalamazoo" Back into ESPN Sports. No sign of KXOL, prob off.
> (PM-OR)
>
> 1660 KQWB ND, West Fargo, topping WQSN at times with CNN Net news
> at 0403 EST 3/20. Weather for Fargo at 0405, then into talk show with
> female moderator. WQSN was the main QRM. (PM-OR)
>
> Drake R8
> 1500' Eastern beverage term.
>
> Patrick Martin
>
> Come to Seaside Oregon for the 2006 IRCA Convention! It will be held at
> the Comfort Inn on September 22-24,2006.
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> IRCA mailing list
> IRCA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> http://arizona.hard-core-dx.com/mailman/listinfo/irca
>
> Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the
> original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the
> IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers
>
> For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org
>
> To Post a message: irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
>
> End of IRCA Digest, Vol 23, Issue 89
> ************************************
_______________________________________________
IRCA mailing list
IRCA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://arizona.hard-core-dx.com/mailman/listinfo/irca
Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers
For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org
To Post a message: irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx