CURRENT SEASON
SEASON 6
New episodes posted each week. Live streams occur on Fridays at 2345 UTC/1845 Central. Season starts Friday, October 10, 2025.
Season 6 Archive and Show Notes
Episode 1
October 10, 2025 - SEASON PREMIERE! - A recap of big Summer FM Sporadic Es season in North America, announcing our high score winner for the Summer of DX Challenge, the launch of 5th Annual Graveyard Challenge
Episode 2
October 17, 2025 - A primer on using AI in DXIng including how to use it to help identify received stations, a walkthrough of WavViewDX software for IQ recording review, Bill Hepburn's Tropo Forecast,and the Graveyard Challenge contiues!
Episode 3
October 24, 2025 - We look at some of the DX options that are off the beaten path from the usual AM and FM bands including NOAA Weather Radio, NDBs in the longwave band, ADS-B aircraft tracking and TV DX! Loyd gets the PA0RDT mini-whip back up and running on the DX Central KiwiSDR and the Graveyard Challenge enters its final week.
Episode 4
October 31, 2025
HOUR 1: Logging and logbooks - with a special focus on the Google Suite and using Google Forms, Google Sheets and Google Sites for logbook entry and analysis. We also take a quick look at the new DX Central Live! Web site and show archive and discuss "Studio C," the new DX Central Patreon!
HOUR 2: Choosing the right SDR for AM DX - With so many options on the market, how do you know which one is the right choice for you? We break down some of the more common options with pros and cons for each.
GRAYLINE CHALLENGE: - We take a look at the grayline map for November and how it compares to actual sunrise/sunset times.
TONS of shoutouts: - we didn't get them all in last week so this week, it will be a shoutout-o-rama!
LIVE DX SESSIONS
Session 1 (19:00 CDT TOH) - We finish up the Graveyard Challenge, spending some time on 1230 with the Co-Channel Canceller in SDR#.
Session 2 (20:00 CDT TOH) - With our new challenge focused on grayline, we open up this session for requests.
Session 3 (21:00 CDT TOH) - Same as above, open for requests.
Episode 5
November 7, 2025
HOUR 1: Storage for IQ Recordings - what are the options out there for holding, archiving our IQ recordings? As with most questions like this, there is no single answer here....so we explore some of the options so you can hopefully land on one that works for you!
HOUR 2: An introductory look at Jaguar software - One of the most requested videos we have at DX Central is for a walkthrough on this AM DX resource and SDR interface for Perseus users.
Other topics we will touch on:
Ole Sol is active yet again. We take a look at the current and forecasted solar conditions
Bill Hepburn's Tropo forecast - a look ahead
Offseason Sporadic Es - yup, it has been a busy November!
LIVE DX SESSIONS
Session 1 (19:00 CDT TOH) - Open for requests!
Session 2 (20:00 CDT TOH) - Open for requests!
Session 3 (21:00 CDT TOH) - Open for requests!
Episode 6
November 14, 2025
HOUR 1 - Attack of the Sun - or - Getting DX from down South (and I don't mean Waffle House territory) - We dive into the week of amazing DX, Latin American enhancement, 3 CMEs and all the fun that came with it.
HOUR 2 - Antennas for MW DX - To follow up with our discussion two weeks ago on SDRs for AM DX, we explore some popular antennas to help pull in those distant signals. We will also touch on components for MW antennas including handwound transformers and variable resistors for termination purposes.
MW FREQUENCY CHALLENGE - This week, we say goodbye to the Grayline Challenge and say hello to a new challenge. In this one, we quite literally return to our roots both because after nearly a year-long break, we are focusing on a specific frequency range for our challenge: 910 to 930 kHz. Also, 910 kHz was the very first frequency we used for our very first MW Frequency Challenge back in November of 2021 - so nearly four years later we come full circle! Full details will be available at dxchallenges.com.
ADDITIONAL TOPICS:
We will take a look at 910 to 930 kHz looking for potential target stations for DXers, especially Latin American and Trans-Oceanic DX
TOP-OF-HOUR DX
HOUR 1 (0100 UTC) - We check Latin American beacon frequencies looking for any remaining enhancement from this week's solar storms.
HOUR 2 (0200 UTC) - We launch our new challenge and as such, spend our first hour focused on 910 kHz. This can be a treasure trove of Latin American DX with San Andres y Providencia (a unique country from Colombia for DX purposes), Costa Rica, Venezuela, Cuba, Honduras and Mexico all possible along with some really good Domestic DX.
HOUR 3 (0300 UTC) - We return to our challenge frequencies, this time focusing on 920 and 930. Both of these frequencies can also support excellent Latin American DX and we will cover some options during the show.
Episode 7
November 21, 2025
HOUR 1
FM DX - recent tropo and Auroral Es. We take a look at Bill Hepburn's Tropo Forecast
New gear is here! - VE3PSZ model V3A High-Z Amplifier - this is going to be the matching unit and amplifier for my new ~35 foot low-noise vertical antenna that (hopefully) will be going up this weekend.
New gear on the way! - We take a look at two new pieces of gear on the way for testing:
Also in Hour 1, we will be introducing our new MW Frequency Challenge frequency range for the week as well as our brand new data analysis dashboard for the weekly challenges!
We are talking about feedlines! 50 ohm, 75 ohm, coax, twisted pair and even Cat 5/6 (I know Notorious B.O.G. is gonna love this!). Whether we are talking about AM DX, FM, shortwave, or beyond.....how to make sure this critical component of your signal chain doesn't let you down!
We look at our new challenge frequencies and identify possible target stations
NEW MWFC Frequencies - I used our new MWFC All-Season Data Analysis tool to help find some frequencies where we have much lower coverage/completion, while still offering a nice assortment of states and countries to chase. So, the data pointed very clearly to 580 - 600 kHz!
TOH DX
Hour 1 - We finish up on 910-930, to put a finish to Week 6 of the MWFC.
Hour 2 - We take a look at our new challenge frequencies of 580-600 kHz.
Hour 3 - We continue with our new challenge frequencies - 580-600 kHz.
Episode 8
November 28, 2025
HOUR 1
The new low-noise vertical. Talking through the install, the setup, the unique "Jeff Imel-inspired" chemical ground and checking out the performance LIVE!
Unveiling the new MW Frequency Challenge - All Season Data Analysis! You all have been checking out and the feedback has been fantastic. Now, we unleash it to the world. A few sections are still under construction (the audio locker and the seasonal stats).
A new MW Frequency Challenge announced! Using our data from the All-Season data analysis, we zero in on two more of our least "covered" frequencies: 1470 & 1480 kHz. There are lots of opportunities here for most of us, at least, to flush out our logbooks.
HOUR 2
A preview of Loyd's new logbook analysis, using the same tool we are using for our DX challenges.
Review of target stations for our new challenge frequencies
TOH DX:
Hour 1 - Finish up on 580-600
Hours 2 & 3 - Start 1470 and 1480
Episode 9
December 5, 2025
HOUR 1
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The active regions of the Sun are now once again Earth-facing. Already, conditions on MW have been improving towards the South. We had a big opening to Peru here on Wednesday night. Will this continue?
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Not only was AM DX bumping on Wednesday night, but we had a rare December FM DX Tropo opening to the Southeast as well! Stations along the Florida Gulf Coast were coming in strong, all the way to Orlando and Mount Dora! We review the logs and look ahead to see if tropo conditions will return!
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DX TESTS RETURN! We have to wait until February, but the West Coast will soon be the home to sweeps, tones and morse code thanks to a series of DX Tests. We cover the details and the 'Save the Dates" (yes, we will be doing live streams for each!)
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I cannot say enough good things about the low-noise 35' vertical antenna! It has been a remarkable surprise just how good it actually is! How good? We are going to put up another one! (More on that next hour).
HOUR 2
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Another antenna change here at Northshore Studios and around the corner at Mamacita's shack? Well, thanks to Barry, yes....we will be making some changes. We talk through our thought process.
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With those changes in store, we take a look at phasing for MW DX. If you have a phaser such as the MFJ-1026, we talk through what you can do by just turning a few knobs!
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The ATS-25 "Max Decoder" portable radio has arrived. What do we think so far?
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We explore some "beacon" frequencies for our new MWFC Challenge.
NEW CHALLENGE
With the Solar conditions what they are, this is the perfect time to bring back one of our more popular "theme" challenges from Season 4, "The Country Challenge". Try to log as many countries as you can. 5 points if you log one station from the country. 10 points if you log two. Max of 10 points per country (countries like BVI and Antigua with 1 station, we are awarding the full 10 points for hearing them). The US counts as a country, so be sure to throw two logs in there for an easy 10 points!
Top-of-Hour AM DX SESSIONS:
Hour 1 - Finish up on 1470-1480
Hours 2 & 3 - Start Country hunting!
Episode 10
December 12, 2025
HOUR 1
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We have launched a new station target list - "Loyd's Go-To Pan-American 'Beacon' Frequencies" and will review that and some use-cases for it in the show.
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More solar fun - The sun was playing with our ionosphere again this week like a kitten with a ball of string. And it wasn't just signals to the South that were the result!
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New video has dropped on YouTube - the 35' Vertical Antenna!
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The Country Challenge rolls on and we take a look at the numbers so far, cause WOW!
HOUR 2
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New podcast episode coming up as a companion to my column in the January edition of The Spectrum Monitor
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Going to reshoot the Jaguar video - again - as I just learned of a new feature I want to try out!
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At 20:30 CST, Louisiana will fire the monthly EAS test. We will be taking requests and tuning around looking for stations. Maybe a few we don't already have in the logbook!
- We also take a look at the ATS25 Max Decoder portable and its MW performance. How does it stack up against the TEF6686?
TOH DX
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We are looking South with DX catches from Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Guatemala, Bonaire and more!
- In the 2100 hour, we actually snagged audio from 920 kHz in Paraguay! You will not want to miss this one!
Episode 11
December 19, 2025
HOUR 1
We test out and demonstrate our new phasing set up using our 35' low noise vertical and a W6LVP loop through an RSPduo. Demoing diversity mode, showing how it works and how well it can help get rid of the unwanted (noise, pest stations, etc.) and pull up DX!
We launch a new challenge for the week: The 3rd Annual Daytime Challenge! A slight tweak this year: the period runs 2 hours after LSR to 2 hours before LSS. This is a tighter window this year to reduce the prevalence of grayline influence in our logs.
Antenna projects galore! New verticals, transformers, laying Cat 6 feedines.....gonna be a busy week or two at Northshore Studios
HOUR 2
DXpeditions - while our friend Sean Kutzko is on the road for a DX getaway, we talk about our experiences at taking your DX out and away from home. There are definitely some things you will want to keep in mind.
TOH DX:
We check our usual Latin America/Caribbean beacon freqs as the band has been running Southerly again the last few days!
Episode 12
December 26, 2025
HOUR 1
it's the end of the year, and that means it is time to look back at 2025 and reflect on a year of DX. AM, FM, NDB, NOAA WX DX.....it's been quite a year!
We finally got our Airspy HF+D paired with a splitter from our big Southern-facing KAZ. Let's just say, the CCC and that antenna are a match made in DX heaven. And it is already producing for us!
I spent the week working on my brand new online logbooks! These will be embedded at a future Web site I am working on for Northshore Studios. But, both MW and FM have shiny new dashboards thanks to Looker Studio. And they are already coming in handy during my DX sessions!
Common mode chokes? Nah, we are getting ready to strangle some common mode noise around here thanks to 10 brand new TDK N30 toroids. Yup. TEN!
HOUR 2
Tropo has been flaring and looks to be continuing the next few days and not just here on the Gulf Coast. Let's spend a little time talking FM - besides, this is prime time for a little mid-Winter Es opening action!
Improving the Low-noise vertical? Let's throw down some radials!
I finally did it, I downloaded Linrad. Now, anyone know of a university engineering course that I can take to learn to use it? 🙂
NEW CHALLENGE
We launch into Week 12 of Season 5 of our MW Frequency Challenge with a return to a dedicated frequency range: 1350-1360 kHz. 1350 is our least "covered" frequency in the past five years with only 58.5% of licensed U.S. stations reported by our DXers. Let's remedy that, shall we?
DX TESTS
1280 WNAM-WI is going off the air permanently - but not before a nod to the DX community with a special DX Test. We have the details to share.
TOH DX
Hour 1 - We will actually be checking FM, because the tropo conditions seem to be getting going
Hour 2 & 3 - We will be checking our new challenge frequencies of 1350 and 1360.
Episode 13
January 2, 2026
No show this week (Loyd is under the weather). Be back next week!
Episode 14
January 9, 2026
New Challenge!
Week 14 of the MW Frequency Challenge is here where we focus on 1180-1220. Lots of big guns in this range but can you pick out the ones in their shadows? Some good international DX in here too!
Hour 1
Sporadic Es Bonanza - almost every day this week saw someone somewhere in the US getting that elusive Winter Es opening. We look at the maps and check the current conditions. And maybe do a little recording review of our own opening to Mexico earlier in the week.
DX Radio is live - As of 2000 Central/0200 UTC, the long awaited DX Radio is officially live! 24/7/365 radio with DX themed music, announcements and reminders from the DX Central ecosystem and a dysfunctional staff that each bring their own brand of fun to the station. Head to thisisprobablydxradio.com and give it a listen. Also on YouTube at youtube.com/@ProbablyDXRadio.
Hour 2
We take a quick look at Linrad - that mysterious bit of SDR software that typically has most DXers scratching their heads. Well, while not an expert, I have begun to gradually crack the code.
TOH DX
Hour 1: 1350-1360 wrapping up that challenge
Hours 2 and 3: 1180-1220 starting our new challenge
Episode 15
January 16, 2026
NEW CHALLENGE
We continue with a new frequency range, another littered with large stations with smaller gems hiding in their shadows: 1500-1540 kHz. This will be a 1 week challenge.
HOUR 1
See ya next season, FM: We seem to have officially entered that 'dead band' period for FM where it is too cold and stable for most tropo, meteor scatter slows to a crawl and Es - while they can happen at any time - we are likely now in the waiting game until April/May. So, what can we do during this time to start early preparation for the upcoming season? Plenty, it turns out!
Quasi-Auroral Condx on MW?: There was a nice CME earlier in the week, a bit smaller than our recent activity, but that didn't stop some folks from seeing some Au condx on the MW band.
HOUR 2
Computer setup options for DXers in the modern shack - why 1 PC may not be your best bet anymore
Social Media Log Farming - dos and don'ts.
TOH DX
Hour 1 - 1180-1220
Hours 2 & 3 - 1500-1540
Episode 16
January 23, 2026
HOUR 1
Solar Storm (Take 1 - The Demo Version) - Well, that wasn't much to sneeze at, was it? The Bz stayed more positive than a motivational speaker on their 2nd pot of coffee. As such, we didn't get a visual or radio event from this one. There was a definite radio blackout - even down here we noticed. Some folks saw little pockets of enhancement this week, but not what we were hoping for. Some folks way up North did manage some FM AuEs!
Solar Storm (Take 2?) - There are some space weather folks forecasting more to come. We shall take a look.
NEW CHALLENGE: We say "see ya" to 1500-1540 and start our newest challenge and this will be a three week marathon: The 1000+ Mile Challenge. We are resurrecting this popular challenge from last year in which only stations located 1000 miles or more from each DXer's home location will count. 999 miles? Sorry, not gonna cut it. 1001 miles? Congrats, you just made it. This will be running all the way through February 13, so stretch out, make a plan and knock off as many as you can. Hopefully the sun will play along nicely to help us out.
HOUR 2
Portable DXing - Just in time for the looming threat of power outages. Once you have secured your homestead, every one is safe, warm and hunkered down.....why not flip on a portable radio and tune around? If nothing else, you get to hear weather updates. And as we have seen time and time again, natural disasters are when radio shines the brightest, so should make for some interesting and gripping programming to tune in. Not to mention a noise floor you haven't had the luxury of enjoying since the Cold War.
TOH DX
Hour 1 - 1500-1540
Hour 2 and 3 - We look out - way out there - for real DX!
Episode 17
January 30, 2026
While we are not on camera with a live show this week as we take the first of our three weeks off for the Mardi Gras season, that doesn't mean we left you high and dry!
Instead, we do a DX Radio/DX Central Live! crossover with our first volume in the DX Radio Mixtape Series. This first volume is "Loyd's Mix", Loyd's favorite songs produced so far for DX Central Live!/DX Radio.
Episode 18
February 6, 2026
No Live stream from this week, as.....ummmmm....we forgot to start the stream before we left for the Mardi Gras parade. We will be streaming Volume 2 of our Mixtape series (Intern Gary's Mix) immediately after the conclusion of Volume 3, next week.
Episode 19
February 13, 2026
Our final week off for Mardi Gras from the on-camera livestream, we bring you Volume 3 of our DX Radio Mixtape series: The NOLA Sessions. All DX-themed music inspired by the music of New Orleans in honor of this special time of the year.
Immediately after the conclusion of Volume 3, we do a mea culpa by presenting the DX Radio Mixtape: Volume 2 show we had planned for the previous week. This volume is Intern Gary's mix and let's just say, it was a fun one to put together!
Episode 20
February 20, 2026
We are back, baby!
Hour 1
- We have a new, THIRD, FM DX Webserver. And tonight, we walk through what you need to do to have your own TEF-powered Webserver!
- New Challenge Launches! - The challenge site is active again with a new challenge - the US State Challenge. Try to log as many states as you can, with up to 2 logs in each getting you points....just like the Country Challenge we did earlier this year!
Hour 2
Hate F-Connectors? Me too. I found something much, much better!
TOH DX
HOUR 1: We take a look at conditions - both FM and AM
HOUR 2: We hunt US States on the MW band!
Episode 21
February 27, 2026
Hour 1
- Wait, what? Late February Es? Yup, more than once this week, the FM band once again surprises us! We take a look at who got in on the action and discuss what - if anything - it means for our upcoming season.
- The US State Challenge, first week, has been a rousing success. Our DXers have already logged the entire "lower 48", submitted nearly 600 logs and we still have a whole other week to go!
Hour 2
-Spring Equinox, Spring Solstice, Daylight Savings Time, the first week of March. What do these have in common? They make for some fantastic grayline MW DX. We take a look at why.
TOH DX
All Hours - Hunting states: SC, SD, NE, OR, ID, WV, AZ
Episode 22
March 6, 2026
HOUR 1
We sadly say good bye to the US State Challenge. That has been a fun one, hasn't it? I didn't get OR or ID here, wasn't for a lack of trying, but still managed to get some new ones and revisit some old friends i hadn't heard in a while.
A new TEF has arrived here at the house - the NXP Nano. It may be a tiny little thing, but it performs just as well as it's larger brothers.
New challenge! | We return to a frequency based approach for this week, focused on the range of 650-690 kHz. An interesting one.....some domestic big guns, some little surprises at grayline......and some Latin American/International goodies hidden as well. This is a 1 week challenge.
HOUR 2
How has the grayline been treating you with the extra hour of darkness? Don't forget, once daylight savings time hits, that will shift the timing on these LSS/LSR changes. That's not a bad thing, just means a new strategy for the rest of the month. Still some great grayline DX to be had.
Some lessons on upgrading your Internet when you host online radios/webservers, etc. - Take my advice with a grain of salt and YMMV, but some things I am glad I did and some I wish I had as part of our transition to a symmetrical fiber optic Internet connection is now in the rear view.
TOH DX
Hour 1 - Finishing up the US State Challenge - that means I will be looking West
Hour 2 and 3 - We start our focus on 650-690 kHz
Episode 23
March 13, 2026
Hour 1
With me on the road this week for the dayjob, there was no time for DX. Except for a little FM DX I was able to enjoy on the airplane. Flying 35,000 feet above central Louisiana, my little NXP Nano TEF radio pulled in some interesting stuff!
I did notice a lot of chatter in the Slack Channel while I was out about antennas, specifically terminated loops such as KAZ, Flags and SuperLoops. So, let's revisit these popular antennas!
NEW CHALLENGE: As we wind down the 650-690 kHz challenge, a new challenge awaits and this one......this is a doozy. The Frequency Challenge!
Hour 2
Did you know that you can set up a forward so that if you receive an email from a specific sender, it can then send you a text message? I have set this up for my FMList Sporadic Es alerts and It. Is. Awesome. With a text message, I can set up a unique alert sound to play when a text message comes in from that source....which means it will be much easier to "hear" that Es Alert. I will share some tips that I learned from this process.
Spring Cleaning? This is a good time of the year to do a once over of your antennas, feedlines, baluns/transformers, terminating resistors, ground connections, etc.
TOH DX
Hour 1 - Finish up 650-690 kHz
Hours 2 and 3 - We hunt for stations for "The Frequency Challenge"
Episode 24
March 20, 2026
HOUR 1
Bruce Conti's Right Triangle Terminated Loop
TEF AM Webserver? Yup, we did that
Nearly 2000 logs in one week? Ya'll are incredible
HOUR 2
FM Tropo engine is ramping up on the coasts
Notorious BoG to the rescue!
Our new RDS Autologger is up and running and......wow
TOH DX
All Hours - Working down our 3 logs per frequency quota backlog
Episode 25
March 27, 2026
- Tropo getting going on the Gulf Coast
- We look at the Tropo forecast to see how long the fun will last
- AM DX heating up to the South - not just Latin America - but even further South along the grayline!
- Portable FM DX with a custom built Arrow Antennas Yagi antenna
- Sporadic Es already underway - at least in Europe
- We check in on the progress with The Frequency Challenge - only one week left!
Episode 26
April 3, 2026
HOUR 1
Welcome to April! Time to change our focus to all things FM.
Before we do, though, a quick hit on MW: We wrap up The Frequency Challenge this week and what a challenge it has been! Just under 3,000 logs in one challenge? Unbelieveable!
Also, Loyd heard Uruguay this week!
To get us started on FM DX Preparedness Month, we do a quick recap on Tropo: how it works, how to know when it is happening and what to expect
Our new challenge launches: The FM Bandscan Challenge and this is unlike anything we have ever done before (details, below)
HOUR 2
We dive into our new FM Bandscan Challenge, how it will work, how you submit logs, etc.
For this hour, we are talking about FM Bandscans. How to do one, how to document your findings and why the data is important, how this will help you come Es season!
TOH DX:
Hour 1 - We finish The Frequency Challenge
Hours 2 and 3 - We start our FM Bandscan!
Episode 27
April 10, 2026
HOUR 1
FM DX Webservers: Using them as a DXer, hosting one for yourself and other DXers
Updating SDR Console with the latest RDS information
HOUR 2
RDS Autologging through Rabbitears: How to use this information as a DXer, how to host your own autologger
SDR Options for high bandwidth (~10 MHz) IQ recordings for FM
TOH DX
We navigate the local FM band, keeping an eye on MW
If time permits, we will go through our 8/13/25 Sporadic Es recording
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