On a slightly differing note, I caught up with a friend from his SAT phone yesterday I used to drive for, he owns a trucking business and operates a number of 3 trailer roadtrain stock (cattle) trucks in far western Queensland Australia.
He complained a number of years ago that there were no MW or FM radio stations available during daylight in many of the outback areas of Australia and he missed the news and weather bullitins.
Its quite possible in many areas of this large country to be out of reception during the day.
2WEB the Outback radio network based in western New South Wales works well at night but can be not heard outside its repeater stations reach in many more remote parts of the western Queensland outback during the day.
I fitted a Pioneer CD radio with AM/FM and 2 shortwave bands to his prime mover, a while back, (Pioneer, Kenwood and JVC supply SW capable units here in Australia, not Sony oddly enough).
With a large old style fibreglass AM 5 ft whip mounted behind the top of the sleeper cab it works quite well.
He can now listen while driving during the day to Radio New Zealand and China Drive out of Bejing in English with good signals approximately 2800-3200 Klms from RNZ's transmitter base on some memory presets I punched in.
Considerably more Klms from Bejing however they're running some serious power!
He finds it interesting and another view on the world during long hours behind the wheel or when out of log book time and parked up.
Sadly Radio Australia's shortwave service was canned a while back,.
It provided sometimes the only decent signals in remote parts of the country and is a very short sighted move by our govt as far as many rural and remote travellers and outback stations * ( USA read as ranch) dwellers are concerned.
Also the Pacific islanders who relied on R' Australia and now only RNZ for accurate news and cyclone warnings and updates.
Satellite and FM repeaters from ABC Australia placed in the pacific although available is not always as reliable especially during the cyclone season when they get knocked out and technical skills are not immediately available to repair them.
As for recent reception here I have been listening to comical advertising on some Indonesian and Malaysian stations although i don't understand the languages,on my Icom IC761 and IC-765.
I often tune into tune to RNZ's Pacific program on my 55 year old Zenith Transoceanic 3000 on my bedside table during the night on the 49 meter band with a fairly consistent SINPO 55435 rating, using just the extended whip antenna on the radio.
Also Radio Thailand in English for a 1/2 hr on 9290 in the 31 meter band looking up R'Thailands frequencies, ,although I'm sure Ive heard it in the 49 meter band on 5875 or thereabouts (analog tuning) also.
Radio Thailand have a couple of 500 KW transmitters but apparently running them at 250 KW presently from Udon Thani with good signals into eastern VK.
Ross.