Very long-distance MW, 4 400 miles
Hi Andre
Nice catch but there are a few possible candidates. Algeria is possible. But so is Saudi Arabia. However the strongest station might be BBC Arabic Service from Oman.
To answer your question about distance. 4400 miles is certainly possible.
In fact in this month’s Medium Wave News we have a report from Cape Point Nature Reserve Loggings and Blombosch Nature Reserve in South Africa. Listeners there heard many faraway MW stations.
Here’s a taster of what was heard…
kHz | Callsign | Station, location; details heard etc | UTC | Date |
675 | 6BE | Kimberley, AUSTRALIA; Usual fanfare then ABC News | 1700 | 27/04 |
684 | MBC | MAURITIUS; ID's in FF, 50's mx, also on 27/04 @ 1700, ID's for | 1805 | 1/5 |
720 | 6WF | Perth, AUSTRALIA; Fanfare then ABC news severe splatter from | 1700 | 27/04 |
760 | R Quito, Quito ECUADOR; SS w ann & National anthem | 0500 | 28/04 | |
864 | 6CE | Carnarvon, AUSTRALIA; Fanfare then ABC news | 1700 | 27/04 |
882 | 6PR | Perth, AUSTRALIA; w ads, and “good morning, its a Monday” | 1843 | 28/04 |
1010 | WJXL | Jacksonville Beach FL; ID | 0457 | 1/5 |
1010 | WINS | NY; ID | 0400 | 1/5 |
1020 | KCKN | Roswell NM; // 1330 w affiliate ID's Radio Visión Cristiana | 0500 | 1/5 |
The trick was the choice of receiver/antenna and good timing.
You should have lots of opportunity in South Africa if you can get outdoors away from urban electrical interference.
Good luck
Steve
From: main@UltralightDX.groups.io [mailto:main@UltralightDX.groups.io] On Behalf Of Andre
Sent: 07 July 2022 22:40
To: main@UltralightDX.groups.io
Subject: [UltralightDX] Very long-distance MW, 4 400 miles
Hi all, I'd really like to share this clip, I would love some expert comments. I am new to MW DXing (an old-timer on SW though), but I think this might be a really distant catch. We have a local station on 702 kHz here in Johannesburg, but they inexplicably went off air today. So on their frequency tonight I heard Arabic, and the only likely candidate seems to be a station in Algeria. Is that possible? Can MW travel that far? It is 4 400 miles from where I am to Algeria. I used the XHDATA D808. MW from Algeria?
Hi Andre
Nice catch but there are a few possible candidates. Algeria is possible. But so is Saudi Arabia. However the strongest station might be BBC Arabic Service from Oman.
To answer your question about distance. 4400 miles is certainly possible.
In fact in this month’s Medium Wave News we have a report from Cape Point Nature Reserve Loggings and Blombosch Nature Reserve in South Africa. Listeners there heard many faraway MW stations.
Here’s a taster of what was heard…
kHz | Callsign | Station, location; details heard etc | UTC | Date |
675 | 6BE | Kimberley, AUSTRALIA; Usual fanfare then ABC News | 1700 | 27/04 |
684 | MBC | MAURITIUS; ID's in FF, 50's mx, also on 27/04 @ 1700, ID's for | 1805 | 1/5 |
720 | 6WF | Perth, AUSTRALIA; Fanfare then ABC news severe splatter from | 1700 | 27/04 |
760 | R Quito, Quito ECUADOR; SS w ann & National anthem | 0500 | 28/04 | |
864 | 6CE | Carnarvon, AUSTRALIA; Fanfare then ABC news | 1700 | 27/04 |
882 | 6PR | Perth, AUSTRALIA; w ads, and “good morning, its a Monday” | 1843 | 28/04 |
1010 | WJXL | Jacksonville Beach FL; ID | 0457 | 1/5 |
1010 | WINS | NY; ID | 0400 | 1/5 |
1020 | KCKN | Roswell NM; // 1330 w affiliate ID's Radio Visión Cristiana | 0500 | 1/5 |
The trick was the choice of receiver/antenna and good timing.
You should have lots of opportunity in South Africa if you can get outdoors away from urban electrical interference.
Good luck
Steve
From: main@UltralightDX.groups.io [mailto:main@UltralightDX.groups.io] On Behalf Of Andre
Sent: 07 July 2022 22:40
To: main@UltralightDX.groups.io
Subject: [UltralightDX] Very long-distance MW, 4 400 miles
Hi all, I'd really like to share this clip, I would love some expert comments. I am new to MW DXing (an old-timer on SW though), but I think this might be a really distant catch. We have a local station on 702 kHz here in Johannesburg, but they inexplicably went off air today. So on their frequency tonight I heard Arabic, and the only likely candidate seems to be a station in Algeria. Is that possible? Can MW travel that far? It is 4 400 miles from where I am to Algeria. I used the XHDATA D808. MW from Algeria?
Steve, I did not actually consider Oman or Saudi Arabia, although they do now seem possible. l checked again on the Skywaves Android app, which is what I use to identify my signals, and it is as you said, both the BBC from Oman and SBA from Saudi Arabia use that frequency. Also two stations in Egypt. I think you might be correct, the BBC from Oman, with an 800kW transmitter, seems the most likely.
Keith, there is a local station on 702 kHz, right here in Johannesburg, but they were off air yesterday, that's how I was able to pick up something else on their frequency. There are no other local or neighbouring-country stations on 702 kHz that I know of or can find on the Skywaves app.
I am really beginning to enjoy my MW DXing!