On 26 Aug 2003 19:47:14 -0700, (Walter)
wrote:

On the surface, this sounds like a stupid question, but how do I know
my shortwave wire dipole antenna is picking up all it can?

If I live in the St. Louis Missouri Area, is there a list of stations
X, Y, and Z that I should be able to pick up? (thinking shortwave
here, not local stations)

And if so, If I can pick up station A from Egypt, station B from
Japan, and station C from Moscow, then I'm doing really good?

Just wondering.

Thanks..

Hi Walter,

This is a tough nut to solve lacking comparisons.

So, it must be done by comparison. One way to judge band conditions
is to maintain a log of familiar and fairly constant sources. Among
those, WWV and WWVH (or CBUT in Canada, and other time signals
throughout the world) offer that across many frequencies. However,
this goes only so far unless you manage to DX those remote time
standards (WWV is not very far away in the scope of things).

There are also stations known as beacons transmitting in the Amateur
frequencies (as well as commercial beacons) that transmit for this
very purpose. Use a web search engine to find beacon forecasting
software (try using the term Tabor, who is one source).

All this aside, it says nothing of the inherent sensitivity (or lack
of it) for your receiver. Barring your having been hit by high
voltage due to a nearby strike of lightning, you stand every chance of
having all that you are going to get (the receiver will be fairly deaf
otherwise).

Right now I am listening to Radio New Zealand that comes in with
broadcast quality, you may not be so lucky, but on the flip side, you
may get Europe with far more ease than I do (the North magnetic Pole
is the pits for the Pacific Northwest). VOA, BBC, CBC, Deutsche
Welle, Radio Nederland (actually out of the Caribbean), Radio Habana,
Radio South Africa, Radio Australia, HCJB, NHK, Radio Moscow, and
others are also often quite strong. Get to know their schedules
through the day and night, and visit frequently while taking notes in
a log. Patterns should begin to emerge (and then shift as the year
progresses, and shift again as the sunspot numbers fall).

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC