Mobile DX

I always have my car radio tuned to an oddball frequency to hear what I can hear as I go mobile. The radio is a stock AM-FM unit in a 2007 Subaru Outback Sport. It is sensitive, but its selectivity could be better.

Anyway, Friday afternoon (3:30 PM EST/2030 UTC), I had a 10-minute run to the grocery store, so I tuned to 1710 kHz to maybe hear a pirate or a TIS. Nothing but static going down the mountain, but on the way back, I heard WQFG689, the Hudson County, New Jersey TIS, transmitting 10 watts, 85 miles to the southwest (photo above). I almost never hear them during daylight from the radio shack, so I was surprised when they popped up and put in a solid signal as I topped the mountain and pulled into the driveway.

By the way, my best AM band mobile DX so far is WAPA in San Juan, PR, on 1030 kHz, about 1650 miles to the south-southeast. Best FM band mobile DX so far is WLHR in Lavonia, Georgia on 92.1 MHz, about 750 miles to the southwest.

Chasing DX with My Car

The stock radio in my 2007 Subaru Outback Sport is very good. It is very sensitive on AM and FM and is very clean with regards to car-generated noise. The only negative is that the selectivity on FM could be better (strong stations spill over to adjacent channels).

I have logged 67 new AM stations and 29 new FM stations during my 22-mile daily commute with that car radio. Best AM DX was WAPA on 680 kHz in San Juan, Puerto Rico, 1655 miles away; best FM DX was WLHR on 92.1 MHz in Lavonia, Georgia, 744 miles away.

I'd like to keep the radio if I ever sell the car, but the new owner might mind the gap.

Winter E-Skip?

When I am in my Subaru and not chasing AM DX at sunrise, the car radio is usually tuned to WLNG on 92.1 Mc, which is transmitting about 55 miles away in Sag Harbor on Long Island. Although I am on the fringe of WLNG’s coverage area, I enjoy listening to the station because it is old school AM radio and features a DJ, Rusty Potz, who I grew up listening to when I was a teenager. (Hear WLNG for yourself on their website).

And since I am on the fringe, I am very familiar with the ups and downs of WLNG’s signal as I drive around my neck of the woods. And this morning, those ups and downs were not normal; in places where WLNG’s is normally solid, I heard other stations competing with LNG’s signal.

At 1350 UTC, I clearly heard the station identification of WLHR. I had no idea where WLHR was located and when I looked it up, I was surprised to discover that it was located in Lavonia, Georgia, 744 miles to my southwest!

Shortly after the station identification, conditions returned to normal.