"dxAce" wrote in message

It would seem as though some of the "top American DX'ers" are even
resorting
these days to travelling to or near their wanted DX target, hearing said
target,
and then actually counting that in their totals. Some are even resorting
to
using some of the various "DX-tuners" throughout the world and "hearing"
their
target via computer.

A travesty.

dxAce
Michigan
USA



Yes it has been going on for some time. Real DXers my ass. Some of the
published claims I've read over the years seem just a little fishy
considering their QTH and propagation conditions at the time.


--

Regards
B.H.
Southern, MN USA
Radios- R-5000, NRD525,SP-600,SX-28,Eton E1

Brian's Radio Universe
http://webpages.charter.net/brianhill/500.htm

Brian's Basement
http://webpages.charter.net/brianhill/6.htm

Remove your HAT to reply directly

UP YOU,SC!
cuhulin

Ahh never said I am a dxer.
cuhulin

In article ,
Doug Smith W9WI wrote:

Greg wrote:
"Sea gain"? Sounds interesting - please explain. Once while
vacationing on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico, Anna Maria Island,
Florida, I was pulling in all kinds of DX at night on the 20 meter ham
band on my Radio Shack DX-440 portable - much more than I ever did at
home (inland).

The effect is far more dramatic on the MW band!

MW propagation is greatly affected by ground conductivity. FCC
regulation 73.190 (figure R3) is a chart of ground conductivity for the
United States. In New England and the NYC area where MW propagation is
notoriously poor, it ranges from 0.5 to 2mmho/m. Here in the South
where it isn't much better, figures run between 2 and 8. (that includes
Florida) In North Dakota where a single 5kw station can cover the
whole state, figures between 15 and 30 are common.

The chart considers the "ground" conductivity of seawater to be
5000mmho/m. (yes, that's 200 times better than the best land)

Two examples of direct observation:

- Wilmington, NC, at night. Car radio in the beach parking lot: Jamaica
blasting in at entertainment quality on 760 and several other
frequencies. I start driving inland; within a block the signals are
noticably weaker. Within a mile, they're barely audible. When I get
back to my motel about five miles inland, Jamaica is totally gone.

- Massachusetts, high noon, car radio about five miles inland west of
Newburyport. CHTN-720, Prince Edward Island, local quality. Drive
about 20 miles inland to Andover; CHTN gradually fades into nothingness.

Interesting that you observed this on 20m. Maybe less local
interference? The ground conductivity shouldn't have much effect on
shortwave -- greater *distances* (i.e., being within maybe 200 miles of
the Atlantic in Florida, rather than being within 900 miles here in
Tennessee) should make a big difference but I wouldn't think the
difference between Tampa and a Gulf island would be that dramatic.

Interesting topic. I wish I had tried MW DXing.

Less local interference is most likely at least part of my improved
reception on SW. And I live in Lakeland, another 35 miles inland from
Tampa.

Greg

There is only one suitable antenna for this extremely wide frequency spectrum being the Windom. This antenna is effectively a 'serial quarter wavelength'. For MW it would be best to use two such antennas to try have at least some element close to quarter wavelength at any one time. One feature of a quarter wavelength antenna is that it also operates at odd multiples of frequency i.e. that which works at 550kHz will also work at 1650kHz, so only one piece of wire will cover both ends of the band. I admire your thoughts and your way of expressing and putting it in front of readers is really something that I have seen after a long time.Thank you for the site. You also visit http://www.pushbuttonproductions.com/services/radio-ads

Those push button car radios of years and years ago. They had a habit of drifting off station. Every once in a while they needed to be re set. I have about half a dozen of those old push button car radios.

On 03/08/2014 08:34 AM, DhiaDuit wrote:
Those push button car radios of years and years ago. They had a habit of drifting off station. Every once in a while they needed to be re set. I have about half a dozen of those old push button car radios.


I don't remember them as particularly drifty, and I grew up in the
Arizona Desert. They are usually Permeability Tuned (variable inductors)
which are much more stable than most variable capacitors in tuning duty.
Plus the IFs in those days were wide open and stations were allowed to
broadcast in HiFi.

On 03/09/2014 01:09 PM, dave wrote:
On 03/08/2014 08:34 AM, DhiaDuit wrote:
Those push button car radios of years and years ago. They had a habit
of drifting off station. Every once in a while they needed to be re
set. I have about half a dozen of those old push button car radios.


I don't remember them as particularly drifty, and I grew up in the
Arizona Desert. They are usually Permeability Tuned (variable inductors)
which are much more stable than most variable capacitors in tuning duty.
Plus the IFs in those days were wide open and stations were allowed to
broadcast in HiFi.

Ferrite cores age, I am told. That could be a reason for a
slow drift (on the order or decades, perhaps).