Oh, ok..
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"..Recently, the Federal Communications Commission updated their rules and regulations allowing the MedFERs (Medium Frequency Experimental Radio Stations) to operate from 510 to 1705 kHz. For the first time, experimenters can transmit in the nearly unused 1610 to 1705 kHz band where, almost nightly, signals can be heard from amazing distances. Until the FCC begins to authorize commercial broadcasters on these frequencies, it is a DX paradise that awaits your visit!..."
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At the time (1990) the expanded band was still completely vacant, so the article makes more sense now.
What's all this stuff about LowFERs, MedFERs and HiFERs?
"..MedFERs had a relatively quiet band for a few years, apart from fishnet buoys and Latin American areobeacons. Now, however, the expanded AM broadcast band has largely filled up with its major users (commercial broadcasters), along with Travelers Information Service and Highway Advisory Radio transmitters..."
Even if it was 1990, and 1600 to 1710 was vacant, could a part 15 signal operating with a 10 ft antenna and 100mW have enough power to get to the height needed for the skywave bounce and get the distance back to earth to be heard 500 miles away? Somehow I don't think so. If it doesn't make sense, is it really true?
It would have to get to the ionosphere and bounce back, minimum 60 miles to get to it and 60 miles back to earth. And that's minimum distances.
Damitt... my reply disappeared!.. glad I copied it!
I don't know Mark, but really when you consider the whole world is consist of radio waves, regardless if it's modulated with a signal or not.. even light is a radio wave, and if a frequency is not already saturated, but quiet, then why wouldn't a tiny modulated signal manage to travel long distances?
It brings to mind another old article I read long ago which always stuck in my head, took me a few minutes to find it again, thought it was in QRZ, but it was actually in an issue of '73 Magazine' published in March 1975 on pages 81 thru 87 titled "The Mystery of Antenna Radiation - Is it still a mystery? It's a semi long article, but here is a short story excerpted from it which is pretty interesting, that if I understand correctly essentially used a light bulb as an antenna to travel long distances with very low power:
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"......Predictions can be made and results that have been achieved by this popular concept of wave formation have been for the most part quite satisfactory. The only thing is, I don't believe a word of it! Many years ago, the Earth was considered to be the center of the solar system, or even further, the center of the universe. It certainly appeared to be,....
...An interesting incident occurred one evening last year to prove this point. Myself and a few other fellows were in QSO with VE3DMU in Ottawa, about 190 miles from Toronto, Band conditions that night were very good, and the further contacts were bouncing the S meter needle to 5 x 20/9,
We decided to try a few experiments with each other to see what would happen. In one experiment we reduced the audio modulation lower and lower, until it barely showed on the oscilloscope. The Ottawa station could still copy the signal, but reported a drop in audio. The same result occurred the other way — then VE3DMU in Ottawa did something else. He restored the audio to 100% modulation and reduced the rf to a bare minimum on his scope. Several of us tried the same thing and the results were the same — we were able to copy each other remarkably well on such low power*
Then the Ottawa station tried something that has had us talking ever since. He disconnected his antenna and loaded into a light bulb as a dummy load, Restoring the output to full power, he then modulated the signal. With each modulation the intensity of the light increased and decreased in brilliance.
He then asked in a joking manner, "Do you copy me now, Doc?" "Yes, I do, Gordy" was my response, and the S-meter showed 5x7! Everyone else in Toronto heard him too, and we held quite a QSO that night on a light bulb!
I should mention that asterisk * after "low power" is not on the article, I guess I somehow accidentally hit it.
Mark said: "..It would have to get to the ionosphere and bounce back, minimum 60 miles to get to it and 60 miles back to earth. And that’s minimum distances..."
You should read the entire article as it's rather interesting and the whole point of it is that he doesn't believe the accepted theories of radio propagation are entirely correct and why he thinks so.
A Story I heard Years Ago
In the early decades of analog TV a radio buddy told me he heard an anecdote about a clearly received TV signal from a station that had been off the air for 2-ywears!
Speculation was that the original signal traveled into space at the speed of light until it bounced off a solid body and reflected back to earth.
I agree that the present state of radio physics probably does not allow for possibilities that have yet to been discovered.
Told yah.. a quick "Control A and C" before submitting eliminates a lot of aggravation.
Oh, your post changed while I was replying.. I guess the site doesn't owe you $2,000 anymore.
Notice to Admin
My first attempt to make the previous post disappeared and had to be re-done.
Then I saw Id misspelled the word "year" but the EDIT was already closed. What's it set to, 1-minute? My request that EDIT be set to a reasonable time, such as 1-hour.