(snip)

I don't think there *is* a MW group, this seems to be the best place.

Good, then I've landed home !

Try http://www.nrcdxas.org in the States, I'd bet there's a link off
http://www.skywaves.info in the U.K.. (Skywaves is a FM/TV group but
I'd bet they have a link to U.K. MW DXers)

The *best* antenna to use is a Beverage - a very long wire very close to
the ground. As in, 150m long or longer and maybe 20-30cm to 1m above
ground.

:0 We only have a small back yard.

Obviously few DXers have enough room to use such an antenna!

I think you're going to want to look at a ferrite-core or air loop
antenna. (you can make your own air loop fairly easily) A longwire
will probably have to be at least 40-50m long to stand much chance of
hearing American stations.

Yeah, 8 metres is my max for a longwire. I've got what I think is a
ferrite-core, but no loop.

Virtually all American stations (except low-power outlets) operate 24/7.
I might suggest your best chance is to listen at your sunrise, when

Yeah I read somewhere that MWDXers tend to be insomniacs.

it's already light across Europe (and the stations on the Continent are
beginning to fade out) but still dark across the Atlantic.

Writing from the "wrong" side of the ocean I'm not all that familiar
with what's the best frequencies to check. The stations we consider
most commonly DX'd here in the States are often NOT the ones that are
strongest in Europe. Most U.S. stations that operate at night use
highly-directional antennas to beam most of their power out to sea (and
away from other American stations on the same frequency) at the nearest
beach.. which means they're not well-heard in the American interior but
can be plenty loud overseas.

I think CBC Radio 1 on 640KHz from St. John's, Newfoundland & Labrador
is probably the most-often-heard American station in the U.K.. The
all-sports station on 1510 in Boston seems to be fairly commonly heard
as well.

I'll try those tonight, thanks very much for the help.