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AM Frequency of the Week: 1090

cyberdad

cyberdad

Administrator
Staff member
"Up, up, up, turn your radio dial....." Thus began a classic PAMS jingle for KAAY. So....it's now time to stop at 1090 and ask you guys what are you hearing there these days?

For me "you-know-where" during the daytime, 1090 is pretty much blank. I used to get a weak WGLC from Mendota, IL. That was a 250-watt non-directional daytimer from about 65 miles to my southwest. They've been dark for nearly 25 years, since they migrated entirely to FM.

Then there's nighttime, where KAAY "rules the roost". Not much of a "roost" or "ruler" these days. The degraded nature of KAAY's night signal has been much discussed here, so I'll try not to re-hash any of what's already been said. Bottom line is the KAAY night signal around here now is weak to sometimes fair, but still generally reliable and almost always alone. If WBAL shows up, its almost always on day pattern at sunrise or sunset. KAAY also does better before sunrise, so my guess is that they're powering up early, but I'm not sure of that. They're seemingly stronger before Baltimore sunrise.

The only other thing I hear with any regularity on 1090 is WKBZ (WMUS) from Muskegon, MI. Also around sunrise, but not very often.
 
In the near north Chicago suburbs WKBZ Muskegon, Mi comes in very weak during the day. KAAY at night, but not nearly the monster it used to be back in the day when I had a button set to it on my car radio.
During sunrise & sunset WBAL comes in especially in the fall & winter.
 
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In eastern Iowa, daytime KNWS Waterloo, IA; nighttime KAAY. It's not the monster it used to be here, either.
 
By day in East Tennessee, WHGG in Kingsport TN. I've received WKFI, Wilmington, OH (part of Joe Mullins' classic country network based at WBZI, Xenia) around sunrise and sunset now and then. Night, sometimes KAAY.
 
From the sunny gulf shores of… Gulf Shores, Alabama…

Nothing during the daytime, as the nearest stations are all 1 kW and 300 miles away.

At night it's all KAAY. KAAY was the dominant station at night in central MS when I lived there, too. Even with the dilapidated facilities, it was always a decent signal both here and there since we're more or less in the night pattern.
 
Very much the same as Ryan here on 1090. WBAL weak-to-semi-local in the day; a ton of brix at night.

1090 is one of the frequencies where I have just one logging to show here for my meagre second DX 'career', lol.

Despite the casual references to 'NE PA' -- that's the anthracite-based society, architecture and lifestyle -- I'm actually closer to the Maryland state line than to the New York state line to the north.
 
Days, its splatter from a class D on 1080. Nights its KAAY. Not as strong as they used to be. I heard their ground system got stolen a while back. They used to run an Ampliphase transmitter but not sure what they're using since CummLess bought it.
I used to listen to Roy Masters at night but even Roy has abandoned them since their signal went downhill.
 
XEPRS "The Mighty 1090" blows into nor Cal pretty well at night from Rosarita Beach...

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cyberdad said:
"Up, up, up, turn your radio dial....." Thus began a classic PAMS jingle for KAAY. So....it's now time to stop at 1090 and ask you guys what are you hearing there these days?

For me "you-know-where" during the daytime, 1090 is pretty much blank. I used to get a weak WGLC from Mendota, IL. That was a 250-watt non-directional daytimer from about 65 miles to my southwest. They've been dark for nearly 25 years, since they migrated entirely to FM.

Then there's nighttime, where KAAY "rules the roost". Not much of a "roost" or "ruler" these days. The degraded nature of KAAY's night signal has been much discussed here, so I'll try not to re-hash any of what's already been said. Bottom line is the KAAY night signal around here now is weak to sometimes fair, but still generally reliable and almost always alone. If WBAL shows up, its almost always on day pattern at sunrise or sunset. KAAY also does better before sunrise, so my guess is that they're powering up early, but I'm not sure of that. They're seemingly stronger before Baltimore sunrise.

The only other thing I hear with any regularity on 1090 is WKBZ (WMUS) from Muskegon, MI. Also around sunrise, but not very often.
Click to expand...
 
The NF8M Night site shows a full powered KAAY having a night signal reaching Panama. That was the second deepest south penetration by a US signal behind WAQI (which shows a night signal making it to Northern Brazil).
 
dlf1 said:
The NF8M Night site shows a full powered KAAY having a night signal reaching Panama. That was the second deepest south penetration by a US signal behind WAQI (which shows a night signal making it to Northern Brazil).
Click to expand...

That is pretty exaggerated. First, both 1090 and 710 are filled with closer by stations in South America and Central America. Second, any night reception on an open channel of either will be only rare and occasional.

I got WGBS 710 on my car radio a few times in Quito years ago... but it was DX quality reception, not easily listenable.
 
Granted it shows very few non US signals. I was surprised KAAY was shown going that far south. I would have guessed WBAP or WOAI having a further south reach than KAAY (even if exaggerated).
 
During KAAY's top 40 heyday, in Western Ohio they were good for about 45 minutes between our sunset and Little Rock sunset. Very strong at night with fire and brimstone preaching when I lived in Quincy, IL and worked in Hannibal, MO.
 
dlf1 said:
Granted it shows very few non US signals. I was surprised KAAY was shown going that far south. I would have guessed WBAP or WOAI having a further south reach than KAAY (even if exaggerated).
Click to expand...

WBAP has been blocked for the last 60 years or more by the 50 kw HJED in Cali, Colombia, and a 10 kw Venezuelan and several 820 operations in Central America, the larger of which is 10 kw in Guatemala. 1200 is a more local channel for Colombia and Venezuela, with numerous stations in each country.

While 1200 and 820 might put decent signals into much of Mexico, Texas is to far west to be an effective location for reaching Central and South America, which are far to the southeast. Of course, Mexico protects those channels by treaty, while the rest of Latin America does not.
 
Day - KFNQ Seattle (CBS Sports)
Night - XEPRS Tijuana (ESPN), KBOZ Bozeman (News/Talk) and KFNQ
KMXA Denver is also heard once in a while with Spanish AC.

On the want list:
KNCR Fortuna CA (Regional Mexican)...checking Radio-Locator the signal blasts into the Pacific Ocean. Maybe someday.
KAAY Little Rock...a real surprise. They have never been heard here on their 50KW.
KTGO Tioga ND...sunrise? The Bakken Beacon has 1100 watts.
 
crainbebo said:
KMXA Denver is also heard once in a while with Spanish AC.
Click to expand...

If you heard Spanish language AC on 1090, you heard another station. KMXA is "Superestrella" and has a CHR format, changed earlier this year from a full Regional Mexican format.

So you may have heard something far more rare and exotic!
 
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