I *may be* coming to Seattle for vacation later this summer, and since I'm into the "recording bandscans" sorta thing, where can I pull in a good mix of Seattle/Vancouver/Victoria stations (while trying to avoid the recent LPFMs and tx's), as well as Seattle/Portland?
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A great place for a good mix
- Thread starter ksradiogeek
- Start date
The Edmonds waterfront is a great place for a scan. Also try Yost Park (access off Walnut Street). When I was last there in 2012 I heard many interesting stations from BC and northwest Washington that I wouldn't otherwise get elsewhere. I found a sweet spot where KPTZ was nulled out on 91.9 - and in came 100w KSJU Friday Harbor, never heard that station anywhere else in the Puget Sound area. Little community radio station that's only been on the past 6-7 years. KVIX mixes with KAOS on 89.3, even heard KUGS one time at only 100w. On 104.7 it wasn't uncommon to hear the Mountain FM translator out of Sechelt, BC (think their calls now are CFUN), at only 350 watts. Having the big hills blocking Seattle IBOC helps, when Portland tropo is hot I can hear 105.9, 107.5 and others in spots. Of course there are more LPs and new stations nowadays, so you wouldn't be able to null out KMCQ-103.3 I think, to try for KKCW.
Another good place is North Bend. Victoria stations are quite clear in that area, especially around 468th. I can also hear Aberdeen stations but they are weaker.
Another good place is North Bend. Victoria stations are quite clear in that area, especially around 468th. I can also hear Aberdeen stations but they are weaker.
I’ll also add downtown Everett to that mix as well. Get above the second floor in a building and you’ll find all of the Victoria stations (including CJZN 91.3) come in like locals, you get a very usable signal from most of the Mount Seymour stations in Vancouver, plus OK signals from most of the Seattle stations (except KBCS). There is a brand new hotel on Colby St that appears to be an excellent DX spot on the crest of the hill headed down to the waterfront
Another surprising spot is near Snoqualmie Casino. Extremely strong Vancouver signals there. I hiked the nearby Alpine Lakes trail and got a lot of Portland and SW Washington stations at the trail head parking lot.
While you’re not getting the summertime deluge of tropo and E-skip that the Southeast gets, having mountainous and hilly terrain to work with makes DXing fun out here. Heck I rented my last apartment and bought my first house out here based on what I could pick up on the back porch with a Tecsun portable — not entirely true but not too far from it!
Another surprising spot is near Snoqualmie Casino. Extremely strong Vancouver signals there. I hiked the nearby Alpine Lakes trail and got a lot of Portland and SW Washington stations at the trail head parking lot.
While you’re not getting the summertime deluge of tropo and E-skip that the Southeast gets, having mountainous and hilly terrain to work with makes DXing fun out here. Heck I rented my last apartment and bought my first house out here based on what I could pick up on the back porch with a Tecsun portable — not entirely true but not too far from it!
Well, Snoqualmie Casino is up several hundred feet, so I'm not surprised. We filled up and had breakfast for dinner once at the TA restaurant off 468th and I-90 (exit 34) and a bandscan had loud signals from Vancouver (CFMI was one), Victoria and Bellingham, plus KSWW and KDUX from Aberdeen albeit kind of weak. Most were gone by the Denny Creek exit heading east, but I did get the KYYO-HD2 translator on 95.3 for a couple miles around Bandera until it faded, that's the one with 'KGY'. KXLE starts faintly coming in as you climb the hill to get to Snoqualmie Pass, and it's usually strong from the pass eastward.
If you can get into downtown Shelton (like near the Mason County PUD office), the knife-edge refraction is hot out there, with Mt. Rainier right in the middle of SE WA transmitters. You'll know what I mean when 106.5 reveals 'The Eagle' from Richland, or 98.3 'The Key' from Pasco. Olympia has a KRXY translator on 92.9, 'Feel Good Country' but you may still be able to get KDBL 'The Bull' Yakima out there. I did back in June 2013.
If you can get into downtown Shelton (like near the Mason County PUD office), the knife-edge refraction is hot out there, with Mt. Rainier right in the middle of SE WA transmitters. You'll know what I mean when 106.5 reveals 'The Eagle' from Richland, or 98.3 'The Key' from Pasco. Olympia has a KRXY translator on 92.9, 'Feel Good Country' but you may still be able to get KDBL 'The Bull' Yakima out there. I did back in June 2013.
You got KGY on 95.3 east of North Bend? Nice catch! I psted this on another thread, but will post here as well. I was coming back from Levinworth last summer, and we were listening to KXLE, when suddenly just over the pass, CKZZ cut in like a local. Within less than half a mile, both were gone. KXXO is also surprisingly strong from up there.
Alki Beach gets FM from Canada sometimes -- at least it used to. Plus, it's a touristy spot. Great views of Downtown once you 'round the bend.
There's a hill south of downtown Issaquah that has a terrain shadow (weakening Cougar Mtn FM transmitters) that used to pull in Canada as well.
There's a hill south of downtown Issaquah that has a terrain shadow (weakening Cougar Mtn FM transmitters) that used to pull in Canada as well.
Yes, I got K237FR east of North Bend along I-90, in between exit 38 (fire training exit) and exit 42 (Tinkham). I couldn't get KXLE until halfway climbing the hill where I-90 EB and WB separate between Denny Creek.
Chinook Pass is also an awesome spot for a scan, you're likely to hear many Oregon and BC stations along with Seattle, Yakima, Tri-Cities and of course KPQ Wenatchee. Last time I was up there in August 2017, I confirmed three Eugene stations (KLCC / KMGE / KNRQ), a couple of Spokane stations (KISC / KBBD) and even one Pullman station (KZZL). Also listened to 89.7 CJSU from Duncan BC at over 160 miles at a local like signal.
Chinook Pass is also an awesome spot for a scan, you're likely to hear many Oregon and BC stations along with Seattle, Yakima, Tri-Cities and of course KPQ Wenatchee. Last time I was up there in August 2017, I confirmed three Eugene stations (KLCC / KMGE / KNRQ), a couple of Spokane stations (KISC / KBBD) and even one Pullman station (KZZL). Also listened to 89.7 CJSU from Duncan BC at over 160 miles at a local like signal.
OK, I’m actually changing my answer to Bongwater’s. The San Juans are a phenomenal place to visit, there excellent signals from Vancouver, Victoria, and Bellingham, plus most of the Seattle FMs do OK out there.
On top of that, if you’re in a group, it’ll be easier to convince folks to take a boat ride to the islands, maybe see a whale or two, and tool around the islands rather than compelling folks to take a trip to Everett or Shelton.
Even though...the best Mexican food I have ever had in the Estados Unidos came from a restaurant in Shelton!
Lastly, as a cabbie in those parts once told me: “You’re in the 3-6-0 (area code)! Come on vacation, leave on probation, return on violation! The circle of life!”
On top of that, if you’re in a group, it’ll be easier to convince folks to take a boat ride to the islands, maybe see a whale or two, and tool around the islands rather than compelling folks to take a trip to Everett or Shelton.
Even though...the best Mexican food I have ever had in the Estados Unidos came from a restaurant in Shelton!
Lastly, as a cabbie in those parts once told me: “You’re in the 3-6-0 (area code)! Come on vacation, leave on probation, return on violation! The circle of life!”
Thanks for the suggestions!
How is reception up in Oak Harbor for all 4 markets? Seems fairly equidistant to all. And from Mt. Constitution?
How is reception up in Oak Harbor for all 4 markets? Seems fairly equidistant to all. And from Mt. Constitution?
A DX camping trip weekend out to Moran State Park on Orcas should yield generous results with your smartphone FM radio (which usually have near car radio quality reception and filtering) in spite of KISM/KAFE/KWPZ. Go up the lookout tower where you get a near perfect 360 degree view of Puget Sound from WAY high up with your smartphone radio. Chances are, you won't be the only DXer up there, as I have seen others with headphones/earbuds and fiddling with their phones up there.
Keep in mind that two full class C’s broadcast from Mt Constitution (KAFE and KISM). That being said, you should have little problem with BC stations as you can see both Victoria and Lower Mainland from the observation tower
My guess is Seattle might give you a little trouble on certain stations—probably those on second adjacents to the two stations mentioned above and in cases where two stations are on the same channel, like KBCS/CJZN, the Canadian station will likely be the one you hear.
My guess is Seattle might give you a little trouble on certain stations—probably those on second adjacents to the two stations mentioned above and in cases where two stations are on the same channel, like KBCS/CJZN, the Canadian station will likely be the one you hear.
Last time I was at Oak Harbor was August 2011. CHQM-103.5 was rock solid at the Coachman Inn where I stayed. (The family went up to Whidbey Island for an overnight shellfish trip - and we came back with the legal limits of butter and littleneck clams out of Penn Cove! That beach is now closed to clam digging until 2019 due to conservation efforts.) Otherwise, I also had a faint CITR-101.9 Victoria (no CFUV) at Oak Harbor, along with CJSU, KSQM and others. 96.1 was a rock solid CHKG, but I was able to find some small nulls and get KXXO. KDDS was a lost cause due to CFOX.
Deception Pass was also a fun spot, but I like my ideas better - the Marina Beach Park at Edmonds, Yost Park in Edmonds, downtown Shelton, North Bend and Chinook Pass. If you want to drive 2-3 hours out of Seattle, you would LOVE the DX action along the Washington coast. You can get several Newport OR stations 24/7 at Pacific Beach, over 170 miles away. The Moclips/Pacific Beach/Seabrook areas are far enough from Aberdeen xmitters to not cause problems. Of course, Sunny 102.1, 105.7 the Jet and others are just fine out there but they do have their drop-outs. KXPB-LP 89.1 is a trainwreck of music and you never know what you'll hear on that station. And they even have a stream as I recall!
Of course I could go all-out and pick the best dead-band FM scan I've ever done, which was on top of a mountain in the Goat Rocks Wilderness SE of White Pass - at 7,350 feet! I had translators as far as 170 miles up there (that translator was K283BH 104.5 Bend, OR, repeating KBNW-1340), almost every channel was 2 deep at least. 93.1 was a sloppy mess of CKYE and believe it or not, the KJET translator in Montesano! 88.1 had so many stations I couldn't even count them all. KWAO was one of them, the others were likely Union Gap, Sunnyside, Kennewick, you name it. It's a tough hike - you have to take a very rough forest road to get there, and it was full of big rocks and such to drive around.
Deception Pass was also a fun spot, but I like my ideas better - the Marina Beach Park at Edmonds, Yost Park in Edmonds, downtown Shelton, North Bend and Chinook Pass. If you want to drive 2-3 hours out of Seattle, you would LOVE the DX action along the Washington coast. You can get several Newport OR stations 24/7 at Pacific Beach, over 170 miles away. The Moclips/Pacific Beach/Seabrook areas are far enough from Aberdeen xmitters to not cause problems. Of course, Sunny 102.1, 105.7 the Jet and others are just fine out there but they do have their drop-outs. KXPB-LP 89.1 is a trainwreck of music and you never know what you'll hear on that station. And they even have a stream as I recall!
Of course I could go all-out and pick the best dead-band FM scan I've ever done, which was on top of a mountain in the Goat Rocks Wilderness SE of White Pass - at 7,350 feet! I had translators as far as 170 miles up there (that translator was K283BH 104.5 Bend, OR, repeating KBNW-1340), almost every channel was 2 deep at least. 93.1 was a sloppy mess of CKYE and believe it or not, the KJET translator in Montesano! 88.1 had so many stations I couldn't even count them all. KWAO was one of them, the others were likely Union Gap, Sunnyside, Kennewick, you name it. It's a tough hike - you have to take a very rough forest road to get there, and it was full of big rocks and such to drive around.
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Agreed. I head out to the Washington coast once a year for a vacation, and always bring a radio with me. I caught some fantastic AM and FM catches out there. I even know of a gentleman who's picked up Australian ABC radio out there before. I would say that our coastline is easily the most interesting place for a DXer!
Sometimes, you may even pick up North Korea on the coast (the 1500kW 657 kHz Pyongyang relay makes an appearance occasionally. And it's pretty easy to distinguish North Korean from South Korean/American Korean by the tone of voice used by the announcers and the type of music you hear.)
I picked up the Pyongyang 657 here in Yakima last fall. Their bizarre music and salutes to the Great Leader are often heard by several DXers on Vancouver Island during the fall and winter. Of course, the Japanese stations and HLAZ-1566 were hot that morning too. What had to be Pyongyang on 819 khz (K.C.B.S) had a nasty het all over KGNW-820. I've heard about 10 Asian stations here and yet have never gotten KFQD 750 Anchorage, nor KYUK-640, KNOM-780 or KICY-850 which are common catches for the coast and Vancouver Island DXers. (I got KTZN-550 years ago, once heard KINY-800 Juneau, and hear KTKN-930 a few times a year).
Back on topic...FM of course.
Back on topic...FM of course.
There are several members of the National Radio Club who occasionally go to a selected scenic turnoff on a coastal highway that sits on the top of a cliff. On one of these expeditions, they logged something like 50 New Zealand stations, including many in the 1 kw range.
Those coastal locations in your area seem to be marvelous DX locations.
Any location off Highway 101 far away from any city RF noise on the coast is perfect for AM. Definitely one for the bucket list.
If it's the ultralight MW DXers that you are referring to, the cliff is a several hundred foot cliff near Rockaway, Oregon (S. of Seaside), which I think is on public land.
Gary Bock and a few others take their ultralight MW radios and ferrite-sleeve loop antennas and hear Oz and NZ a lot, especially during the Spring and Fall when apparently the solar conditions favor propagation to those areas.
I can't see why a similar location in Washington wouldn't also serve a similar purpose.
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