Surprised!

[pe1mph]

Hello AM Lovers,
Yesterday evening I want to go to sleep, but first I listen to 80 mtrs.
First I could not believe....
Do I hear it good or am I still dreaming....

No I were not dreaming, I heard AM on 3885 khz!
Yes I heard Steve: WA1QIX loud and clear.
He gives CQ and I made a little recording with my mobile phone (see below).
Nobody returning for Steve, but on 3872 I heard evenso AM.
But poor to fair signals, but I go to sleep...

This morning I awake early and listen again.
No big signals on 3885, but I heard Don K4 talking.
I heard only him, so no other stations between 3870 - 3885 khz.

Evenso the BC stations from the USA were weak.
For example Bloomberg on 1130 khz did not have a big signal...

Later, after my breakfast, I walk to my studio.
I heard weak to fair signals on 3550 khz from France AM stations.
So I thought.... I want to give CQ on 3615 khz, the UK AM freq.
And after my CQ I heard 2E0IBN (Less) with a good signal and nice audio.
Later I worked: M1PVC (Paul), G4EJM (Mike) and PA3OH (Trevor) on 3615 khz.
I can tell you the signals were strong, special from Mike (S9 +15!)
I made a some little recordings and put them below....

Oh by the way.
Is on Facebook an 'AM Group' like this forum?
So I can put direct info, when I hear an AM station in our livingroom.


Oke thats all for this (AM) morning,

Henk / pe1mph
Dokkum / The Netherlands

[steve_qix]

Wow, that was at around 5:00 PM EST, so it was dark, but had not been dark long.

That signal came from the new location in Central New Hampshire (I have moved from Townsend, MA), so very surprised !  Thanks for the recording.

As winter sets in, you will probably hear more of us 

Thanks and Regards,  Steve

[pe1mph]

Wow, that was at around 5:00 PM EST, so it was dark, but had not been dark long.

That signal came from the new location in Central New Hampshire (I have moved from Townsend, MA), so very surprised !  Thanks for the recording.

As winter sets in, you will probably hear more of us 

Thanks and Regards,  Steve

Steve,
I were really surprised how I heard you so good!
Later I heard stations on 3872, but not strong.

Are you in your new location 'closer' to me?

I keep my 'eyes and ears' to the AM freq.
Perhaps I can hear you again...


Greetings,

Henk / pe1mph
Dokkum / The Netherlands

[steve_qix]

Hmmm.. If I measure the distance using Google maps from my old location in Townsend, MA to my new location in Mirror Lake, NH, I am 73 miles North-North-East of the Townsend location.

The new location may be slightly closer, but I don't think there is enough of a difference in distance to effect the signal strength so far away.

I live here ->  http://www.mirrorlakenh.com

The Townsend location was a superior radio location in all respects - height, property size and the height of the antenna (90 feet), but not a good place for retirement.  The new house is pretty bad (the house needs a new house), but otherwise this new location is a good place for retirement  

[pe1mph]

Steve and other AM Lovers!

Yesterday evening I watch TV but....
On the background the Kenwood receiver were on.
Not to loud on 3885 khz.... hi, hi...

I am now thinking...
It must be some minutes past 22.00 hour (our wintertime).
Then I heard a weak/poor signal on 3885 khz.
But only from (I guess) one station.
I sent some Apps to AM-Lovers if they heard the same.

And yes, an AM lover in Franeker (Oene) heard it and better then me!
Later and later we heard that station, better and better, but....
We heard no call or name, Oene App to me: they talking about 'food-making'?

Then a short time we heard nothing on 3885 khz.
But then we heard Steve, WA1QIX.
Evenso other AM lovers (Gerrie, Jan, Henk, Henri en Eric) heard him.
And his signal were comming stronger to The Netherlands.
Some AM Lovers heard 2 stations on 3885, but I only 1.

Hi, hi... some AM Lovers did say: CQ.
But no reaction from USA AM stations....

Later I go 'upstairs', I want to sleep.

Steve....
We heard you all yesterday evening on 3885 khz.
You must have a good place to transmit now...


Greetings,

Henk / pe1mph
Dokkum / The Netherlands

[WA2SQQ]

From what I've experienced so far I believe the 2020 winter months will provide good DX on 160 / 75. At about the same time I've been working into Europe and Africa on 160m FT8. Last year this was not happening until January. I also completed WAS on 160 last year.

[Steve - K4HX]

From what I've found, the biggest signals on 80 meters out of Europe occur in October and November and again in late Feb and March. Signal strengths often fall off in the dead of winter - Dec, Jan. Often, the noise levels are lower in the dead of winter though, so the SNR may be just as good.

[K1JJ]

The biggest signal from Eu I ever heard on 75M was in December, 1987.  EI6H, Pat (Ireland) was running a 3 element wire beam at 130' beaming USA. He had a BIG linear at the time.  I was listening on a 7el wire Yagi at 120' to Eu.

Here's the kicker:  At that time during the solar minima signals were so big from Eu that I had to back off my TS-930  S-meter sensitivity. I found the loudest signal on 40M (megawatt Radio Moscow at peak times) and calibrated  my S-meter to 60 over S9 based based on this flamethrower.  Any of you who remember Radio Moscow at that time know they were HUGE!   It was not easy to find a 30 over 9 signal on 75M after that setting.  A few big-gun local AMers could give me 45-50 over at times.

During a late evening QSO with him, Pat, EI8 Henry pinned my S meter that night in December.  IE, he was LOUDER than Radio Moscow for that brief minute.

T

[Steve - K4HX]

Amazing. I've always marveled at how strong some of the UK and IE stations were. Often they were as loud as stateside stations, yet 1000-2000 more miles distant.

Wasn't it IE6S, George?

http://amwindow.org/dx1/ei6s28feb090538z3800.mp3