--MW BCB DXing / TV/FM DXing

Many of our members enjoy the technical challenge of receiving "standard" broadcast stations outside the areas they are intended to serve. These MW (that's what hobbyists call "AM") FM and TV DXers have many of the same interests as SW Broadcast Listeners and DXers, but need even less in the way of equipment. Anyone with a car radio or an old TV with rabbit ears can join in the fun here!
[Screenshot of TV DX] Here is an example of TV DX. ---------->

The image to the right is a snapshot of reception in Central Lower Michigan in July 1996. This was seen during a nice Tropo opening to Northern Ohio, and represents a distance of about 250 km (160 mi).

This reception was with a Magnavox 20 inch colour TV, and a rooftop Yagi antenna -- nothing an average household wouldn't have, in other words.

(Photo taken with a Pentax K1000/70mm lens and ASA 400 film at 1/30th f5.6, processed with Kodak 'premium package' returning JPEGs on disk.... A pretty slick service but no longer really relevant (or even available since Kodak's bankruptcy?) since digital cameras are so ubiquitous these days, and work perfectly to snap a photo of a TV screen and share instantly! ... :o )
MARE regularly prints logging and news tips concerning both MW and FM/TV DX like this reception in both its print and e-mail only publications. Ask us for a sample or join MARE for all the good stuff! This link will get you a MARE membership application and more information about MARE.

Member Gary Vance has put together a list of Michigan Radio Stations with all the Michigan MW and FM stations that we know of. Thanks Gary!

Back in the day, member Harold Frodge assembled a guide to Michigan TV stations in the Analog era, but now that ATSC has replaced NTSC we had to update that. Here's a current Guide to Michigan DTV Stations assembled by member Ken Zichi listing the currently active digital TV stations in the state, updated as of 2020.

Here are some net links of interest to domestic band hobbyists: (information in these links maintained by groups other than MARE....)

  • Radio and TV Dial Pages
  • Bill Harms' neat resource for TIS (Travellers Information Service) and similar stations [This is now offline, and if you click here you'll get the last version archived in 2006, and the database was last updated in 2004, but it is still very useful!] Click you 'back' button to return here! (and see below for the FCC database search for these stations which is current!)
  • MIT Radio-Locator
  • An explanation of the new ATSC 3.0 standard that is being phased in
    Clubs of note for people interested in MW, FM and TV DXing:
  • Worldwide FM/TV DX Club -- the name describes the club to a 't'
  • International Radio Club of America homepage -- a club devoted to MW DX. The IRCA has dropped any paper publications and now exists only on line.
  • National Radio Club and DX Audio Service -- another club devoted to MW DXing
    And some 'official' sites:
  • The FCC home page
  • FCC AM Database query
  • FCC TIS Database query
  • FCC FM Database query
  • FCC TV Database query

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