Messages

1

General Radio Discussion / Re: Pirate Act Passes Senate

« on: February 18, 2020, 0452 UTC »

If you are a pirate in the “Top 5” markets (whatever they are) you should pay careful attention.

Top 5 radio markets = New York, L.A., Chicago, San Francisco (Bay Area), Dallas-Fort Worth.

2

Amateur Radio / Re: 7.055MHz LSB Indonesian pile ups.

« on: February 06, 2020, 0316 UTC »

When prop was better I used to hear some of these guys in the morning (West coast US time)... a few Malaysians, too.

Not recently, though.

3

Propagation / Re: Grey line map (real time)

« on: February 05, 2020, 0906 UTC »

^^^^^ Fair enough, thanks for the explanation.

4

MW Loggings / Re: KCMY 1300 AM 0400 UTC 23 Jan 2020

« on: February 04, 2020, 0430 UTC »

Carson City has been coming in to the Western WA fairly well ever since the Seattle station went off the air, although KAPL from Ashland, OR often dominates, as does KLER from Idaho.

5

Amateur Radio / Re: Best Band/Frequencies to Start on CW?

« on: February 04, 2020, 0426 UTC »

I used to hear plenty of slow (5-12 wpm) CW on the tech/novice portion of 40 meters almost on a nightly basis. I know there are slow key nights. There is some slow key CW organization that has them periodically.

6

Propagation / Re: Grey line map (real time)

« on: February 04, 2020, 0423 UTC »

I use one of the online ones. A solar propagation site has one that works.

http://www.spacew.com/www/realtime.php

While the grayline may be correct, don’t be fooled by the rest of the data at the map link above.  It has been a long time since we have seen a SSN of 86.

"SSN"? I don't even see a reference to an SSN (whatever that is) on the page anywhere. It has the grey line, radio auroral zones, and MUFs delineated and mentioned, and that's about it.

And I've found the grey line useful, as well as the auroral radio zone demarcation (the green lines at the top of the map). And -- for the most part -- I've found them accurate enough for SWLing.

7

General Radio Discussion / Re: The Ultimate Pride Of China Portable Shortwave Radio for $9.59

« on: January 25, 2020, 0323 UTC »

I'd lay money down it's DSP. And that could be a mixed bag. I bought a DSP AM/FM headset radio a couple years ago for $10 and it sucked. But we all know DSP can make cheap radios work well, too.... It all depends on the design and QC department of whichever company or factory is making the product.

8

Propagation / Re: Grey line map (real time)

« on: January 21, 2020, 0234 UTC »

I use one of the online ones. A solar propagation site has one that works.

http://www.spacew.com/www/realtime.php

9

General Radio Discussion / Re: Reports: iHeartMedia undergoing layoffs, including at Syracuse, Rochester radio

« on: January 19, 2020, 2301 UTC »

Surely there will be no rise in monopolies because of these shenanigans.

Ya think? Lol.

Because of increased fragmentation in the broadcasting / online-broadcasting model, I can't see how the big radio companies debt will go down any time soon. And then you have the issues with advertising dollars. Some stations are making money hand over fist, but the corporations are still in debt. The fragmentation of advertising is also pushing this new model.

From what I've read elsewhere, it's not just radio, but other industries aren't seeing the advertising dollars they used to depend on to keep their business afloat.

In one station in Iowa, the sports hosts were brought back because of 'audience complaints' -- one guy on another forum said he thinks perhaps it was actually the advertisers who complained, as they were seeing results from advertising on that highly rated show.

10

General Radio Discussion / Re: Reports: iHeartMedia undergoing layoffs, including at Syracuse, Rochester radio

« on: January 18, 2020, 2352 UTC »

Technically, since radio stations are no longer required to have a a physical studio at the location of broadcasting, they can consolidate to a single national location and have everything programmed and linked out to the cities of broadcast and make all of these high powered stations kind of like translators. Actually, NPR has done that for years in various states, (Like here in WV.), and nationally K-Love is doing that now,   http://www.klove.com/    Take this to a commercial level and there you go. The idea of just a handful of people doing programming and sales to a few hundred stations nation-wide is a golden goose that would be just too hard to pass up. As it is, most of those people left can do their tasks from home. I can see commercial and non-profit conglomerates going to that model exclusively this decade.

Just another addition to the consolidation (and accompanying layoffs of people in the radio business) that took place after Telecom 1996. Anyone I knew in the industry is probably looking at the door now, even if they don't work for IHeart. The trend isn't exactly heartening (pun intended).

A lot of guys online talk about radio being live and local, but there are only so many people a small, live and local operation can take on. Many of them are running on thin margins because of a decreasing number of advertisers -- which is another factor in play here. Local mom & pop stores don't advertise as much on radio, and there are tons of other advertising options (online).

11

General Radio Discussion / Re: Reception based on East coast/West coast

« on: January 15, 2020, 0426 UTC »

^^^^^ True, the 49 and 41 meter bands are packed with Chinese and other Asian stations in the mornings when conditions aren't dead. I've only heard Europe over the pole or when conditions were better (i.e. 6-7 years ago or more).  Greece sometimes comes in on 9420 khz during the evening, however. How they do it when the rest of Europe is missing (even on the ham bands) is beyond me.

12

MW Loggings / Re: KVMI 1270 AM 0800 UTC 12 Jan 2020

« on: January 13, 2020, 0428 UTC »

Their signal arrives north probably 1/3 to 1/2 the nights I tune in 1270, and I'm in the PNW as you are. I also hear the Catholic station in Twin Falls ID a lot. And sometimes KBAM, Longview WA.

13

Propagation / Re: Poor conditions (noob)

« on: January 13, 2020, 0427 UTC »

Not an expert here, but the sun's output varies from day to day, even minute to minute. That's why the K and A indices change.

Why the effects of that difference in solar output varies from region to region, even in the same latitude, I wouldn't know.

The auroral radio zone can vary also, which is why northern latitudes have different prop than the more southerly latitudes.

14

MW Loggings / Re: KOGO 600 AM 0300 UTC 09 Jan 2020

« on: January 10, 2020, 0702 UTC »

Yeah, KOGO are pretty rare up here in the PNW on 600 khz. Good catch.

15

Equipment / Re: Harmonics

« on: January 10, 2020, 0658 UTC »

Nice that they got to it. Shows they care. There was an AM station on the other side of my state that had an audible ground loop on their signal for over a year.