Re: [IRCA] [mwdx] DXing the Western US [ Grandpa, DON'T Tell Me About the Good Ole Days ]

[James Renfrew <jim.renfrew@xxxxxxxxx>]

Les,

I'd have to say that in my experience it's a slow grind with few immediate
miracles.  Sometimes it's a target with a strategy other times it's just
being lucky.  Spectrum recording should enhance the opportunities, but in
my experience I could easily end up with several lifetimes of recordings to
review.
Being lucky is mostly being in on a tip that a certain dominant station is
off the air for a few hours or a few days.  That's what happened when
Montreal 690 went off for an extended time; I got Vancouver BC, something
in Minnesota and a lot of others.  Or a station can't or forgets to power
down at sunset.
One specific strategy is to make a serious study of sign/off, power
reductions and pattern changes,  Kaz has actually worked out charts to
indicate which stations are in greater darkness prior to sign-off in
certain months.  The key is understanding that the time marker is in
quarter hour segments, while the terminator may be slightly earlier than
that. This is more subtle than just knowing that the last half of the month
is better through December, and that the first half of the month is better
after January.  For specific stations there are some specific months when
there is a distinct advantage, when compared to other months. Kaz can tell
you more.

Antennae are also a big factor.  For most of my DXing life I've had little
choice with them, other than just send the wire out the window to the most
distant corner of a city lot and hope for the best.  Now that I'm in the
country I have a lot more room, and choices of directions.  Phasing
antennae is an important strategy when you can put out several longwires.
Numerous visits to Newfoundland with a three kilometer longwire aimed at
Brazil have sold me on the value of aiming at the things you want to get.
Terminating the eastern end of the antenna  also enhances reception to the
west.  A Flag antenna also has this property, pushing domestics to my west
down into the mush while lifting up TAs to the east.

So after DXing in the Rochester area since 1976 I have heard every state
except for Alaska and Hawaii.  Oregon was the last to fall, somewhat
ingloriously by finding Disney on the X-Band.  I think one of the eastern
stations was off at the time.

I have had immediate miracles.  One day I heard Glenn Hauser report a
station from Bermuda with a limited schedule in the 2 MHz region of the
band.  I went right to the frequency and there it was.  Not MW, but fun to
log.   Then there's the time I sent away for a sample bulletin from the
WTFDA, read about e-skip (something I'd never known about), went up the
attic and immediately logged TV from Louisiana.


Jim Renfrew, Clarendon NY

On Fri, May 22, 2015 at 8:46 PM, Les Rayburn <les@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> With apologies to the Judds for their hit song.
>
> My primary interest in AM DXing is logging domestic stations in the
> Western part of the U.S. Probably because i enjoy traveling in that
> scenery, and the people are wonderful. No matter the reason, any station
> with a "K" call is a thrill for me to log.
>
> I started my DXing career in the late 1990's, right about the time that
> Total Recorder software made automated monitoring possible. That fit well
> with my busy lifestyle, so it's continued to dominate my efforts since. Not
> spending much "live" time at the dials, I've never appreciated the
> opportunities for Sunrise and Sunset (SR/SS) DXing to it's full extent.
>
> One fond memory is setting at a state park with a portable receiver at
> sunset, waiting for a daytime station in the East to sign off, revealing a
> Nebraska station loud and clear giving farm reports underneath. I don't
> recall the call or the frequency, but it's in my log.
>
> Fast forward to 2015. I'm not eager to add to my totals for Western
> stations. I'd like to ask other DX'er what strategies, equipment, antennas,
> etc they use when looking for new ones out West.
>
> I've asked this question before, and usually receive a lot of stories
> about "how it used to be" before the rules changes, when the clear channels
> dominated, etc. Many articles written about SR and SS DXing also either
> focus on the historical aspect, or assume that everyone reading knows how
> it used to be, and only talk about how bad it is now.
>
> So--while I appreciate the history--I'm more interested in putting new
> ones in the log today. Any DX'ers have suggestions on how best to do that
> now in 2015?
>
> Knowledge is always appreciated. Thanks in advance.
>
>
> --
> 73,
>
>
> Les Rayburn, N1LF
> Maylene, AL
> EM63
>
> Member NRC, IRCA, & Medium Wave DX Circle
> Former CPC Chairman for NRC/IRCA
>
> Elad FDM-S2 SDR, SDR-IQ,Funcube Pro, Wellbrooke ALA-1530+ loop, Clifton
> Lab Active Whip,
> Quantum Phaser, Kiwa Loop, Palstar MW Pre-Selector
>
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