Bob, (count floyd) wrote
C'mon guys, lets use this forum to discuss radio listening and dxing
of either BCB or SW, and keep the spam talk out or by direct email.
Follow the example of John Plimmer, his posts are always radio
related
and very interesting, they are about the only ones I read on this
group anymore. The petty bickering needs to stop and get back on
topic.


Well said Bob, I too become perturbed by the increasing number of off
topic trash that now overwhelms this news group. When I first
subscribed many years ago it was full of on topic interesting radio
stuff.

As for radio, I have been DXing for 42 years and never a dull moment.
When propagation is bad and you are thinking of chucking it in,
something always comes up and reinvigorates your interest with a great
DX catch. It's true that HF SW propagation has been very bad in recent
years with the current very low sunspot number, but as sure as God
made little apples, it will come back again in full force in coming
years. So if HF is bad now, then try the MW AM band or the many
interesting things to do on LF, Although I am aware that many of you
do not have LF band on your radio's.

DXing the AM MW band has lots to offer and the low "K" index of last
year was one of the best MW seasons ever recorded worldwide in
decades. I and other fella's got many superb catches over 10,000 miles
away and I assure you that is a great thrill and well worthwhile the
effort. And you don't need top of the range gear for that as my DX pal
Gary Deacon uses a pedestrian Yaesu FRG7 analogue radio and gets
amazing results that are the envy of his peers.

I took my very old Sony 7600D to Atlanta a few years ago when I
visited my son and the great MW DX had me absorbed for hours. I was
amazed at the long distance catches I was getting. Now the relatively
cheap "ultralights" like the Eton E100 have caught the hobbyists
attention and they are having great fun with these and getting the
most astonishing catches with them.

Recent catches here in Montagu have been encouraging after what was
turning out to be a bad winter season.
In the last few days on LF band I have got:
"LH" Kamuzu International, Lilongwe, VTR Vitoria Brazil and ASN
Ascencion Isl., all excellent NDB beacon far off DX catches.
Then on AM LF were 198 Algeria, 162 Allouis France and 234 Luxembourg.
AM MW band also kept me interested, although Montagu is a very poor
location for that, but you can still get interesting catches like:
A clutch of French stations: Toulose, Bordeaux, Strasbourg and Nice.
Then "Big L" from Holland and BBC 648 from Orfordness in the UK and
1530 R. Vaticano in Italy.

Then if that doesn't keep you amused and conditions are boring you can
always listen to the hams with the hope of picking up a very far off
catch. Something interesting always pops up there as well.

During the day when the DX is not running I listen to the
International broadcasters like BBC, VOA, DW, RCI and R. Nederland and
get interesting different angles on local and international news. I
like chasing the AFN stations as well as they are a challenging catch
with their far off locations and low power transmitters. Yesterday I
was thrilled to hear AFN Pearl Harbour on 6350 loud and clear - a very
far distant catch that is my antipodes and I usually only get their 10
mHz station.

So there is always something interesting on radio 24 hours of the day
to absorb and thrill you.
Have fun and good DX

John Plimmer, Montagu, Western Cape Province, South Africa
South 33 d 47 m 32 s, East 20 d 07 m 32 s
Icom IC-7700, Icom IC-756 PRO III with MW mods
ERGO software
Drake SW8. Sangean 803A
Sony 7600D, GE SRIII, Redsun RP2100
Antenna's RF Systems DX 1 Pro Mk II, Datong AD-270
Kiwa MW Loop.
http://www.dxing.info/about/dxers/plimmer.dx