Getting better reception...
 

Hello to all... I am brand new to the group, just signing up today. I
appreciate any/all help and advice you can provide.

I live in Lakeside Oregon, right on the pacific coast. It is 14 miles
north of Coos Bay/North Bend and 13 miles south of Reedsport. I can
describe the area as sand dunes, forests and hilly terrain.

I want to get local AM stations. In specific, AM 1230 out of Coos Bay,
and ESPN radio station. We can't get T.V. here unless we have
satellite, which I could not justify the cost of monthly (just my wife
and I and we both work full time, not at home enough really).
Therefore, I am looking towards having some entertainment in the
winter, specifically local AM radio.

During the day, we get only one station, AM 1030
(http://www.kdun.com/)out of Reedsport which I know broadcasts at
50,000 watts during the day, turning down at night. At night, we
cannot get the station at all.

I have been using multiple radios to test and see if I can improve
reception by moving the units, rotating, etc. My two main test units
are a Craftsman radio from the 60's with a large ferrite rod antenna
(I measured and it is over 6 inches long)and a Radio Shack SW-100
radio with a rotating ferrite rod antenna on top
(http://support.radioshack.com/manuals/ome12-795.pdf). Neither can
pull in the AM 1230 station in Coos Bay clearly enough to listen. I
can get faint hints of the station, but it is not clear either during
day or at night.

What can I do to increase the reception power of my radios? I place
them near the window and it does help somewhat, but not substantially.
Am I am prime candidate for a C Crane "dinner plate" antenna or one of
their other models (http://www.ccrane.com/am-antenna.aspx)?

I know little/next to nothing of getting the most out of my equipment
or AM antenna technology. I have heard the GE Superadio is a perfect
radio for rural users, is this accurate?

Thank you all for the assistance, I truly appreciate it...

Jason