Asking for a Little Help

[cyberdad]

Hi everyone....

For the past 2-3 years (or whatever) it has been my pleasure to post the "AM frequency of the week" threads. I guess it sort of defaulted to me because several of us had been taking turns with it. If someone else wants to take over, or if we want to go back to taking turns, that's fine with me. I'm cool either way. Same goes for if we want to just give a rest to the topic....permanently or otherwise.

What I tried to do for the latest "series" was inject some order into the process of picking frequencies, as opposed to the random basis that we'd been using previously. I did that by working our way up the dial using the former "class I-B" clear channels. Now, of course, we're just about at the end of those.

Now, my question....assuming you want me to continue...is "what next"? Obviously, we could move on to (the former) "I-A" channels, regional channels, graveyard channels, x-band channels, or something completely different (example: work our way up the dial by alternating regionals and I-A clears.....as in 550,640, 560, 660, etc.)
Again, any of this is perfectly okay with me.

So let me know what you're thinking. If there's overwhelming sentiment for one particular approach (and you want me to keep doing this), then that's what I'll do. Or if the suggestions are all over the map, I'll just go ahead and pick something.

Maybe by drawing from a hat!

 

[The Harsh Reality]

C'mon, cyberdad. You've been the absolute best replacement for ol' "Buckeyes". I'd venture to say you perfected what he once started.

I'll volunteer my assistance, as I'd certainly like to see the AM FOTW carry on. Where are we at, 1570kHz now?

Edit to add: Only to help you out, cyberdad, not to take it over altogether. My schedule limits me sometimes where I end up going days without having the chance to check in here. Add to that, the duties I have within the continued advancement of the Fantastic Word Game (or TFWG, as I prefer) featured right here on radiodiscussions.com, that takes a certain amount of my already stretched time. You ought to give the game a peer, cyberdad. Quite a bit of fun, and a great mental exercise. I think you'd enjoy it.

 

[radioman148]

I think you've been doing a great job Cyberdad and I hope you choose to continue doing this. The 1A clears is a fun idea. IMO it would be fun to compare those frequencies the way they were back in the day vs the way they are now. In any event, I will certainly play.

 

[cyberdad]

I think you've been doing a great job Cyberdad and I hope you choose to continue doing this. The 1A clears is a fun idea. IMO it would be fun to compare those frequencies the way they were back in the day vs the way they are now. In any event, I will certainly play.

Thanks, Radioman. I'm more than happy to continue, but it won't bother me at all if someone else wants to jump in. And yes, if I do continue I'm seriously considering doing the I-A clears unless there's sentiment for something else. One thing the "breakup" of the former clears has done is create multiple DX opportunities on channels that used to have only one station operating at night. Should be fun and interesting if we go that route.

 

[radioman148]

One thing the "breakup" of the former clears has done is create multiple DX opportunities on channels that used to have only one station operating at night. Should be fun and interesting if we go that route.

I liked it better when I could hear 4 Chicago clears on the west coast, but I am definitely showing my age.

 

[MarioMania]

Buckeyes don't come here anymore, Even know this site is more active then radioinsight

 

[Ai4i]

I got in here late.
Have you done what used to be my six favorites:
1230 & 40, 1340, and 1400, 50, and 90?
(I remember someone used to have a signature message something like,
"The graveyard station by the graveyard".)
or my newer favorites between 1610 and 1700, inclusive?

 

[Steve Green NEPA]

I've always enjoyed yours' and Buckeye's Frequencies of The Week, Cyberdad. The delinquent DXer in me occasionally needs that shot of RF Geritol*.

The F.O.T.W. also represents, to a few folks here, a great now-and-then contrast. See, most of my trenchant, professional DX 'career' was in the Sixties and Seventies, and took place in southeastern Queens NYC, near JFK Airport.
So your visionary FOTW posts to here often -- weekly -- embody both nostalgia and reality.

Heck -- keep it going!


* I've actually been taking Geritol since maybe age 4. I have so much iron in me by now that I can wear refrigerator magnets to confuse people.

 

[cyberdad]

I got in here late.
Have you done what used to be my six favorites:
1230 & 40, 1340, and 1400, 50, and 90?
(I remember someone used to have a signature message something like,
"The graveyard station by the graveyard".)
or my newer favorites between 1610 and 1700, inclusive?

I'm coming to the realization that GY channel DXing can be difficult, challenging, time-consuming, AND very rewarding. It's definitely not for the impatient, and it definitely requires focus. If the "job" falls to me. I'd definitely like to inlude it, if not for our next move, then down the road. The X band would also be interesting, now that it has beome more populated. But, for now, I'm waiting to see if we can get a clear direction on what should be next.

 

[crainbebo]

I think every AM channel has been covered in the "Week" series. Even those that are graveyard.

 

[DavidEduardo]

But, for now, I'm waiting to see if we can get a clear direction on what should be next.

Instead of what you hear regularly, how about "farthest / best catch" on each channel.

For example, when I listened from NE Ohio, WSM was my regular on 650, but my best was KORL in Hawai'i.

 

[radioman148]

Instead of what you hear regularly, how about "farthest / best catch" on each channel.

For example, when I listened from NE Ohio, WSM was my regular on 650, but my best was KORL in Hawai'i.

What year was that and what equipment did you use? I tried like crazy for KORL when WSM was off on Monday mornings, but could never get it from the midwest.

 

[gr8oldies]

I enjoy the Frequency of the Week posts. Happy to help if you need it. It's not a problem if we repeat frequencies...things change. I've been making use of some of the web SDRs, which seem to be popping up everywhere...particularly one near Indianapolis which is owned by a DXer and engineer and optimized for MW. I can include a couple of those locations in my reports/

I would vote traditional regional channels next.
FM has changed so much with all the translators, it could be worth a revisit/
How about "Retro Frequency of the Week"? What did you hear on _________. before 1995.

 

[crainbebo]

Well if we're doing retro, how about a special "Frequency of the Week" special somewhere along the way, covering Monday morning DX in the 1960s and 1970s? What were your dials like after the 50KW clears signed off for maintenance? If ever we had a time machine, I think a lot of us would go back to a random winter Monday morning in the '60s.

 

[cyberdad]

What year was that and what equipment did you use? I tried like crazy for KORL when WSM was off on Monday mornings, but could never get it from the midwest.

Me too. KORL, along with KPOI, were my regular listens during my junior year of high school in Honolulu (1964-65). I figured KPOI would be tough duty (although David proved otherwise from Ohio). So i tried just about every Monday morning for KORL. Never got even so much as a whiff of it. Mostly using a Hallicrafters S-120 with a longwire antenna. It didn't help matters that on some Monday mornings, WSM kept the transmitter on and broadcast a continuous tone.

As for the idea of both a "retro Monday Morning" thread and a "farthest on a given frequency" thread. I realize we've undoubtedly covered every AM frequency on this board, but in some cases, it's been a year or two....if not more. Given that each frequency is to one extent or another a "moving target", I think it's still okay to revisit. Especially if you consider that there may be people who are either new to the board or who may have happened to miss some of the channels that we covered.

Now here's an idea. What if we combined David's idea of "farthest catch" with "FOTW". What do you usually hear? What else do you sometimes hear? And what's your farthest catch. For example for me 1130; Usually WISN (day), KWKH and/or WBBR (night), CKWX (farthest).

I defer to you guys, so let me know what you think.

 

[radioman148]

What if we combined David's idea of "farthest catch" with "FOTW". What do you usually hear? What else do you sometimes hear? And what's your farthest catch. For example for me 1130; Usually WISN (day), KWKH and/or WBBR (night), CKWX (farthest).

I defer to you guys, so let me know what you think.

I remember back before WISN moved to 1130 I could hear then WCAR Detroit during the day in the Chicago area, but I digress.
Lots of good ideas. I also like Crainbebo's "Monday morning" during the clear channel days. Maybe a combination of something like that along with what we're hearing on those frequencies now would help bring all of it together, that is "what used to be" VS "what is now".

 

[DavidEduardo]

Me too. KORL, along with KPOI, were my regular listens during my junior year of high school in Honolulu (1964-65). I figured KPOI would be tough duty (although David proved otherwise from Ohio). So i tried just about every Monday morning for KORL. Never got even so much as a whiff of it. Mostly using a Hallicrafters S-120 with a longwire antenna. It didn't help matters that on some Monday mornings, WSM kept the transmitter on and broadcast a continuous tone.

KORL was a fairly easy catch from Cleveland on the HQ-180 and the box loop mounted in the attic with a rotor and a servo mechanism to tune it. It was heard often by area DXers.

Harder were KNDI-1270, KULA-690, KPOI-1380, KHVH-1040, KAIM-870 and the really good one, 250 watt KIKI on 830. There were tentative receptions (enough to believe I caught them, but not enough to send a reception report) for 990, 940 and, IIRC, 1210.

The strange thing is that I got those and a number of Australians and New Zealand stations from Ohio, but from my much clearer frequency location in Quito in the late 60's with the same radio and antenna, I never heard Hawai'i but did hear graveyarders from Montana and such!

 

[DavidEduardo]

Well if we're doing retro, how about a special "Frequency of the Week" special somewhere along the way, covering Monday morning DX in the 1960s and 1970s? What were your dials like after the 50KW clears signed off for maintenance? If ever we had a time machine, I think a lot of us would go back to a random winter Monday morning in the '60s.

It wasn't just the 1-A and 1-B clears. It was, for most frequencies, the same on the regional channels. An example was 1370, where after the CST stations signed off, KXLF in MT dominated, and then when it went off it was an occasional one like KEEN in San Jose.

Or 1440 where from 2 AM to 3 AM EST KMED or KPRO dominated, depending on conditions. The same was true for many, many other regional channels.

 

[DavidEduardo]

What year was that and what equipment did you use? I tried like crazy for KORL when WSM was off on Monday mornings, but could never get it from the midwest.

Early 60's... from Cleveland with an HQ 180 Hammarlund and a loop antenna. Probably the biggest obstacle was splatter from Portugal on 655 which still had enough darkness path at the typical 3 AM to 4 AM window on Hawai'i and Oceania that we had at that location. Lisboa and Honolulu were on close to reciprocal loop bearings.

 

[cyberdad]

It wasn't just the 1-A and 1-B clears. It was, for most frequencies, the same on the regional channels. An example was 1370, where after the CST stations signed off, KXLF in MT dominated, and then when it went off it was an occasional one like KEEN in San Jose.

KXLF was a Monday morning regular for me during my years in Iowa. Any other time besides Monday morning, 1370 was pretty much a jumble.

Also, David, given the number of Hawaiians that you logged in Northern Ohio, I'm surprised you never were able to snag 940 (then KAHU). They were at 10kw when I was out there in the mid-60s. Their transmitter location was about 15 miles from the center of Honolulu, but the signal in the city was still quite good. Although I do seem to recall that the audio was a bit "muddy". Format at the time was country music.