Re: When Were You First Aware of Distant Stations?
Yes, I recall going to a hobby show back in elementary school. Jon Pearkins (we both went to the same school in East Burnaby) had a couple of tables set up with radios surrounded by QSL cards. I was quite taken in by what I saw there, and I guess you could say I was bitten by the radio bug. I had tuned up and down the radio dial previous to that, and was intrigued by the weaker stations that I heard in between the stronger local ones. Seeing other people pursuing this as a hobby, such as sending away for QSL cards and reading Radio/Electronics magazines, really got the ball rolling. We had a radio club going, called the BDXC (Burnaby DX Club). I noticed the difference, on the radio dial, between daytime, sunset, and night-time. During the night, I would hear stations such as WWL 870 in New Orleans and XELO 800 in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. That is probably what got me hooked on the DX, as I eventually started to pick up the more difficult to hear stations on the regional channels, and also the graveyard channels of 1230, 1240, 1340, 1400, 1450 and 1490 KHz.
Built up a nice collection of QSL cards and verification letters. Got into FM DXing as well. There were a lot fewer FM stations on the dial in those days, and in a high-elevation area you could hear stations well down into Washington State.
One time I was up on Thorne Hill in Maple Ridge, and heard KZEL FM 96.1 in Eugene, Oregon. Sent away for a QSL card, and they must have been quite intrigued by being heard in Canada, as they sent me posters, surveys, stickers (and a QSL card), and all sorts of other items. Anyway, still doing lots of DXing, whether it be on the car radio or a portable one such as the C Crane CC radio. Low-power stations can be interesting also. Anyone crossing Lions Gate Bridge or within 1 to 2 kilometers of Park Royal mall should be able to hear "Park Royal Radio" on 92.5 FM. They are broadcasting Christmas music mixed with mall information. Have heard them as far east as Lonsdale Avenue and the Seabus terminal. On 98.7 FM, the hillbilly station can be heard quite consistently throughout the Lower Mainland. I have heard them as far away as Horseshoe Bay, and at sea level on the Seabus terminal. They can be received like a local station in certain spots, depending on where the car is parked. If you have heard of daytime-only stations, this one is the opposite, a night-time-only station. Anyway, best of DX . . .