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1278 AM? Anyone ever DX this signal?

Posted by WYTZZ95FM <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=WYTZZ95FM' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on February 27, 2026, 9:46 am

Hey everyone. I can't narrow this down. It was a music station, but I have a lot of QRM (human-generated interference) at my location, so I was not able to determine language or even ID the songs themselves. Google search comes up with possibly Magic 1278 in Melbourne, Australia or DZRM Radyo Magasin. Any of you have any idea which one or another station it could be? Def not a North America signal. I will try different antennas at some point to try and get it in.

As a guide, I am using a 60 foot random wire, sloped from 15 feet at the feed point sloped down to about 6 feet off ground, at the end of the 60 feet. End to End are E/W, sides are N/S. Icom 7610 using 18db Attenuation to stave off a lot of the noise, along with filters to further reduce noise. I just have a LOT of noise here, I am fairly certain a lot of the QRM is Xfinity which is underground and severely dirty in my area, notably the panels on the Pedestal box are all gone and have been for a long time.

Any suggestions, anything, even other stations on that frequency can help. Thanks everyone!

Z

Re: 1278 AM? Anyone ever DX this signal?

Posted by WYTZZ95FM <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=WYTZZ95FM' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 1, 2026, 4:35 pm, in reply to "1278 AM? Anyone ever DX this signal?"

My fellow nerds, I am saddened, I was hoping someone like John or Jeremy knew this frequency or had heard it on their DX chases. (sigh) Lol.

Z

Re: 1278 AM? Anyone ever DX this signal?

Posted by detectivetom <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=detectivetom' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 1, 2026, 6:41 pm, in reply to "Re: 1278 AM? Anyone ever DX this signal?"

I got it!

It is the drive through at the nearby Jack in the Box😁

Many years ago I purchased, at Radio Shack, a soft cover book of several hundred pages. In about two point type it listed all types of frequency nationwide.

Re: 1278 AM? Anyone ever DX this signal?

Posted by John from Wisconsin <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=John+from+Wisconsin' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 2, 2026, 8:16 am, in reply to "Re: 1278 AM? Anyone ever DX this signal?"

Z,
I didn't want to add anything as I've NEVER heard anything over the PAC or ATL. Others have. I haven't. Best I ever heard was 650 KORL Honolulu in 1971, with WSM off, thus I added nothing.
Have checked MWLIST and cannot see anything else that way or that makes sense.
I can write a dx'er in the area, and see if he has heard anything. Too, it would or might be interesting to see A/K numbers for that time.
I just thought I'd keep my mouth quiet as I'd heard nothing overseas in decades of dx'ing.
John

Re: 1278 AM? Anyone ever DX this signal?

Posted by John from Wisconsin <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=John+from+Wisconsin' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 2, 2026, 11:14 am, in reply to "Re: 1278 AM? Anyone ever DX this signal?"

Z,
THIS is all I've got from the person. Milwaukee WI. To be honest, Z, goose eggs!
John

1278 UNID TP D&U; 7/26/23 1000 to 1130 UTC. A lone signal was present upon tuning in @ 1000 UTC. It was running fairly steady with a few peaks to just above 1280's LSB level. It really lingered a long time past my LSR of 1035 UTC, finally being faded and gone @ 1125 UTC. The frequency was measured. @ 1278.0013. It could be either of the 2 D&Us; listed on this frequency. Melbourne Australia's latest post on MWList (2/26/23) is 1278.0015 and Hawke's Bay NZL has a past history of being on 1278.0013.

Re: 1278 AM? Anyone ever DX this signal?

Posted by John from Wisconsin <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=John+from+Wisconsin' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 2, 2026, 1:24 pm, in reply to "Re: 1278 AM? Anyone ever DX this signal?"

A little more, Z, lifted from an e-mail...

"The only TP station I have positively IDed on 1278 here in MKE was the 2 kilowatt Hawke's Bay NZL station. Hawke's Bay 1278 is part of the Newstalk ZB radio network however and probably doesn't have much music. I do have a log for the Melbourne station (7/25/23) but I have a big question mark after it.
If I heard music on 1278 without getting a frequency measurement my only guess would be Melbourne. The Philippine's station is not likely. It might be JOFR RKB Japan but here in MKE Japan is a long shot."

Re: 1278 AM? Anyone ever DX this signal?

Posted by Johnny Vegas <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=Johnny+Vegas' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 2, 2026, 11:37 am, in reply to "1278 AM? Anyone ever DX this signal?"

Maybe you can narrow it down by listening via a public SDR.

Re: 1278 AM? Anyone ever DX this signal?

Posted by John from Wisconsin <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=John+from+Wisconsin' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 2, 2026, 12:06 pm, in reply to "Re: 1278 AM? Anyone ever DX this signal?"

http://vk2ggc.ddns.net:8074/

set to 1278 for ya!
VK2GGC SDR2: 0-30MHZ T2FD DIPOLE - HUNTER VALLEY NSW AUSTRALIA

Re: 1278 AM? Anyone ever DX this signal?

Posted by WYTZZ95FM <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=WYTZZ95FM' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 2, 2026, 1:21 pm, in reply to "Re: 1278 AM? Anyone ever DX this signal?"

Johnny & John, thank you both! Great idea. I will try it. Last few nights there was no sign of the signal. I will try again.

Z

Re: 1278 AM? Anyone ever DX this signal?

Posted by CADXer <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=CADXer' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 3, 2026, 11:58 am, in reply to "Re: 1278 AM? Anyone ever DX this signal?"

WYTZZ95FM, you did not specify the time when you heard the station. That could narrow the possible options. If you reception was during our local evening (7 PM - Midnight) than the chances are it was a station from Europe/Middle East. There is a 100 kW station in Iran, 200 kW station in Oman and 100 kW station in Ukraine on 1278 kHz. If it was our local morning, right before our sunrise, than stations from the Pacific and Asia are possible.

Having said all that however, in my 45 years of DXing the AM band I have yet to hear any stations from the Pacific or Asia at my location. I did hear stations from Europe in the past, but nothing on 1278 kHz.

Re: 1278 AM? Anyone ever DX this signal?

Posted by John from Wisconsin <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=John+from+Wisconsin' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 3, 2026, 12:40 pm, in reply to "Re: 1278 AM? Anyone ever DX this signal?"

Listened on SDR (above) at 10AM and there was "Magic" with Classic Hits.
Last night, 9 o'clock, nothing. Maybe if you want to get a "feel" of the station try the SDR in the morning.
Whatever, good luck, Z!!!!

This is from the MILWAUKEE DX'er, not me, as I have NEVER heard anything across the Atlantic. John

1278 unID TA 12/14/19 0145 to 0415 UTC. A lone signal no more than 5 to 10 dBs at most above the noise floor. Too weak to have audio or cause a het on 1280. There’s not much on 1278 listed w/ much power except Egypt, Oman, and Iran. The frequency was measured @ 1278.0073 which is within the range of frequencies the MWList website has for IRIB Radio Kermanshah in Iran. The signal was faded and gone for good by 0409 UTC. An Internet search found Kermanshah to have a sunrise of 0349 UTC. This definitely makes Iran the most likely.

Re: 1278 AM? Anyone ever DX this signal?

Posted by John from Wisconsin <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=John+from+Wisconsin' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 3, 2026, 1:25 pm, in reply to "Re: 1278 AM? Anyone ever DX this signal?"

https://play.listnr.com/station/magic-1278

Re: 1278 AM? Anyone ever DX this signal?

Posted by WYTZZ95FM <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=WYTZZ95FM' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 5, 2026, 9:06 am, in reply to "Re: 1278 AM? Anyone ever DX this signal?"

Everyone, conditions have changed and I have been unable to replicate the station. Actually a ton of other stations have been rolling in this week. I frequently received a Classic Hits station that included a lot of 90s titles on AM 1270, never could ID it, fading in and out and could not find a stream for it online and that is now gone. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Z

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