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I've had very good trans-atlantic reception when I was in Montreal. I used to
receive Virgin Radio UK on 1215 kHz, Norway on 1314 kHz, Croatia on 1134 kHz,
France on 1467 kHz on a regular basis. I managed to pull in Saudi Arabia once
on 1521 kHz. I was using a KIWA MW loop and various boatanchor receivers
(HQ-180, SP-600 and R-390A). The KIWA loop is a top-notch antenna - I often
would null out the local Montreal station on 990 kHz and listen to CBC
Winnipeg.

John Barnard

Reply:- Let me add my voice to that of John Barnard to tell that Trans-Atlantic MW signals are indeed booming in (at times) in the Montreal area. Using an old Sanyo MCD-S830 boombox receiver, I regularly get Spain-585, sometimes with armchair readability (this was mostly impossible back on when CFCF or CIQC were on 600 splashing 20 kHz on either side) and I also get Croatia-1134 if I'm lucky enough to null out Blomberg News Radio in New York City on adjacent 1130, there would as I barely tune above 1130 on it's beautiful analog dial ! They used to be more entertaining before, when they were knew as Hrvatski Radio, since they played a lot of nice contemporary Croatian pops. Since they moved domestic "Hrvatski Radio" to FM and begun simulcasting their foreign SW service "Glas Hrvatska" on 1134 kHz MW, they begun a whole lot less entertaining with endless news. Also, there are times when WBBR is unnulable... By the way, Croatia-1134 is the most distant MW station I was able to identify so far, though I tentatively had Saudi-594. I can't listen to 1521 Duba on my rather unsophisiticated gear because of WWKB-1520, but even the wide 4 kHz split Duba-594 would still be a splendid catche on my limited setup ! I also use a Sangean CST-818 which is LESS sensitive than my Sanyo boombox receiver, but a WHOLE LOT MORE selective than the former one and there are times when WBBR is nullable and Croatia-1134 is rather weak; then the Sanyo MCD-S830 will do the job; other times when Croatia-1134 is fairly strong but not too strong, harmed by local-like overspills from Blomberg-1130, then the not-so-sensitive-but-very-selective Sangean CST-818 will pick it up... I've also randomly heard other TAs (maybe the most challenging being Algeria-549, my only mediumwave African, with CHLN-550 gone - making it possible even on my rather unsophisitcated gear), but these are the easiest ones on mediumwave. On longwave, it's a different story using a Sangean CST-818 rx along with the Austrlian homemade PK's Shielded Magnetic LW loop ! Of course, I'm not much of a technical zealot, so most of my TA MW DX is limited to the prime conditions. If anyone is interested in hearing how Spain-585 and Croatia-1134 do sound on my barefoot Sanyo MCD-S830, please let me know and I'll see what I can do - I have more airchecks of Spain, than of Croatia, but I'll se what I can do !

On the other hand, I've had better luck with Latin Americans. I identified around 12 or 13 YVs, depending on how one feels with a strongly presumed Venezuelan on 1130 AM (with WBBR destroyed by auroral conditions) and 6 or 7 HJs.

DXing is a matter of picking up AS MANY STATIONS as possible from AS MANY PLACES as possible, right ? Therefore, since the only countries in South America likely to be heard away from Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Massachussets or Maine are VENEZUELA and COLOMBIA, in order to motivate myself going after "new" South Americans, I count the Venezuelan states, not only the Venezuelan stations. Indeed, Venezuela is divided into 23 different states, the same way the USA are divided into 50 different ones. So far, I have 12 or 13 Venezuelan stations in 6 different states. The central Distrito Federal area is the most logged area with 550, 670, 750, 910, 1130 (presumed), 1200 followed by Anzoátegui (640 and 1080), Sucre (1110 and 1500), Falcón (780), Zulia (1070) and Aragua (570). I even wrote an article regarding Venezuelan mediumwave DX, as it can be heard from the Montreal area, on the Sanyo MCD-S830 barefoot and got published in Monitoring Times, back in 2006 ! As you can see, almost all the Venezuelan "estados", I logged are on the north-coast of the country with the only exception of Aragua and a very futil log of Radio Rumbos on 570 that dates back to March of 2001, when I was in the heyday of my DX activity - but it faded barely in for a few seconds and then it was lost to the QRM clutter !

However, due to a total lack of auroral conditions, it's been a LOOOONG times, since I've last logged a new Venezuelan station, let alone a new Venezuelan "estado" ! High on my list are Lara (YVMR 690 Barquisimeto Seis Noventa is the most reported station from Lara, but this one is impossible for me unless CINF Infos 6-90 is closing down for good - likely, as they are financially in big trouble especially with all that WLW 700 IBOC hash, which can be nulled, as Cincinnati loops WSW from Montreal and Barquisimeto, estado Lara loops SSE, YVSX Radio Cristal on 610 is also remotely possible, but I haven't seen this conclusively reported yet, but Mark Connelly often hears YVMR-690 in Massachussets !), Carabobo (several possible), Nueva Esparta (several possible), Táchira (several possible, though YVOL-860 is the most likely one), Merida (Radio Occidente, Tovar, 1100 kHz would be the most likely one, though it's very seldom logged in North America - I'll need luck here) and Guarico (ahh, Villa de Pascua, YVYE 860 would likely mix with San Cristobal, Táchira YVOL, also on 860 kHz)... There are a few other states that are, at least, remotely possible from the Montreal area, but quite unlikely, especially with the current run of not-so-low-not-too-high geomagnetic conditions when I'm lucky if I get a tiny signal from Falcón on 780 kHz (Radio Coro) or from Caracas, Distrito Federal on 550 or 750 kHz !

I've also heard several Colombian (at least 6) MW broadcasters over the year on the same Sanyo MCD-S830 / internal ferrite bar antenna COMBO (is that a word combo for such a relatively unsophisticated gear ?), but, generally speaking, Colombia is MUCH DIFFICULT to log from Montreal, than Venezuela. Aside from RCN Barranquilla on 760 kHz (departamiento del Atlanticó), no Colombian MW outlets are received on a regular basis here; there can be months when RCN-760 (HJAJ) is poor to excellent (depending on the conditions), yet nothing else from that country can be heard. In the past, the Antena Dos outlet on 650 was hears several times this season but with WFAN-660 using IBOC anytime except during games, it has ruined my DX opportunities for DX on that channel. Also, when I begun DXing, a semi-regular Colombian (slightly more difficult than the Barranquilla 760 kHz blowtroche, but still very easy during above-average conditions to the south) was Radiodifusora Nacional de Colombia on 610 kHz. I remember their splendid Pan-American Latin folk music and their beautiful canned ID "Usted escucha la Radiodifusora Nacional de Colombia... Usted escucha uno de sús 33 emisoras de AM, FM y onda corta (semi-classical interlude) Radiodifusora Nacional de Colombia, La Voz de la Cultura".

Anyway, there is a similar pattern in the midwest. DXers in Missouri, Manitoba, Wisconsin et al have trouble hearing Venezuelans, while Colombians are almost "pests" to them, on the AM broadcast band ! There are some Montreal radio stations that opperate adjacent or on the same channels as many powerful Colombian transmitters. I complained a few lines above the Montreal CINF Infos Six Quatre-vingt Dix is destroying my opportunity to log Lara on 690 kHz, in the form of YVMR Radio Barquisimeto... Well, Mark Connelly et al ONLY hear Radio Barquisimeto during above-average conditions. The three dominant southern foreign signals on 690 kHz are Radio Progreso (in Jovellanos, Cuba), The Caribbean Beacon (in Anguila) and...HJCZ Radio Recuerdos in Santafé de Bogotá, Districto Capital, COLOMBIA ! Yes, Radio Recuerdos along with Radio Barquisimeto (especially the first of them) are the two strongest South Americans on 690 kHz in North America, yet I can't hear them... While Montreal locals are certainly a problem, I don't think that to my relative inability to log much from Colombia on MW. I've listened one night, back in February 2006, during an auroral opening that lasted mainly one night with additionnal slight effects the night after and I've counted no less than 8 signals from Venezuela on MW (either IDed or strongly presumed), yet 760 Barranquilla along with a possible 1170 Cartagena were the only Colombians ! You can read the full repport he http://www.mail-archive.com/hard-cor.../msg11738.html (submitted in Spanish to the Conección Digital Argie maliling list) and conditions were then, way ABOVE average, ALMOST EXCELLENT ! Comparing my own observations with those of other well-known DXers, there is a pathline, the further one goes east, the easiest Venezuela becomes and the harder Colombia does and the furthest one goes west and the easiest Colombia becomes and the hardest Venezuela does... Montreal is about as far east as you can get in the NORTHEAST, without being in a coastal or semi-coastal QTH ! What are your thoughts concerning this issue ?

Well, what can I add more, I'm only DXing domestic (North American) mediumwave stations randomly, though I'm very happy to add that I caught CHRB 1140 in Alberta for my furthest west catche on the AM broadcast band ! On shortwave, it's a different story, with Radio Australia on 9580 kHz my furthest catche "westerly" !

Well, I have to leave now !
73,
May the good DX be with you !
Bogdan Chiochiu