Mika Makelainen, a 58-year-old foreign news journalist for the Finnish Broadcasting Company, recently surprised radio station WQCH in LaFayette, located 4,512 miles away in Finland. Makelainen, an avid DXer for the past 43 years, caught the station on November 25, 2023, at 4:50 p.m. Eastern time.
Despite the challenging conditions with interference and the long distance, Makelainen managed to capture two station identifications by a male voice on the frequency of 1590 kHz AM. The first identification at 4:50 mentioned, “Playing all American country, Georgia 93.7 and… 1590 WQCH,” followed by another at 4:54: “AM stereo 1590 WQCH… Georgia 93.7.”
Makelainen, who operates from a cabin in Lapland, above the Arctic Circle, explained in an email to WQCH that the conditions for AM listening are ideal due to the lack of man-made electrical noise and interference. .
In his email, Makelainen enclosed short recordings of the station identifications, acknowledging the noise and suggesting the use of headphones for clearer reception. He expressed his eagerness for confirmation from WQCH that he indeed picked up their station.
This unexpected long-distance reception highlights the unique conditions that allow for such DXing experiences, bringing together radio enthusiasts from distant corners of the globe. WQCH awaits the opportunity to confirm this extraordinary reception and acknowledge the surprise encounter with their signal in far-off Lapland.
