water and ground waves in DX

[Paul Hopfgarten]

CHSJ used to come in quite well on the Central Artery NB as well. Alas, 700
AND the Span (NB) are no more....

Paul Hopfgarten
East Derry NH 03041
paul@03038.com


> -----Original Message-----
> From: boston-radio-interest-bounces@rolinin.BostonRadio.org
> [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@rolinin.BostonRadio.org]On Behalf
> Of Bob Nelson
> Sent: Sunday, November 16, 2003 10:44 AM
> To: boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org
> Subject: water and ground waves in DX
>
>
> The other day I was in Salem near the Beverly-Salem
> bridge, in the parking lot of a restaurant, waiting
> for them to open (just before 11:30 am). I spent
> a moment turning the AM dial to see what I could pick
> up. It had rained recently (the storm clouds going out
> to sea) but now was partly cloudy (and this was
> just before all that windy weather we got).
>
> Well, stations from the Cape and Maine came in very
> well (even better than usual) and I was surprised to
> hear country music on AM 1010. I didn't hear an ID but
> figure it was not WINS, and not CFRB... but a look at
> radio-locator.com indicated it just might have been
> VOCM from Gander, Newfoundland!
>
> Perhaps not surprising; I've gotten Canadian AM
> DX (in the daytime) before here on the North Shore.
> Before they moved to FM, CHSJ in St. John, New
> Brunswick came in like a local up in Gloucester!
> (Especially at Stage Fort Park on Rt. 127, which is
> right on the water.)
>
> I mentioned this on a DX board. Being here on the
> North Shore, I'm used to Maine and Cape Cod AMs
> coming in "over the water" (like WFPB 1170
> in Orleans). Someone mentioned that water helps
> reception of ground wave stations, and perhaps
> the recent rain we'd had helped it, too.
>
> Adding to the "water helps AM reception" theory,
> there's a moment in Sen. Zell Miller's new book
> where the longtime Georgia politician mentions
> how he grew up loving the Grand Ole Opry's
> Sat. night broadcasts on WSM 650 out of Nashville
> and he remembers "pouring water on the ground wire to
> make the music come in clearer". Interesting.
>
> So I guess living next to the ocean AND having
> "wet ground" would help my daytime (and nighttime)
> AM DX, eh?