I was in Fargo, ND in early December, don't ask why, lol. But had my GE superadio and tuned around the dial and when I hit 750 it was literally like a local, the signal was massive, more so than Minneapolis, WCCO, or any of the Chicago 50k's. It was quite shocking how clear and brutally strong it was, stayed that way for hours.
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WSB AM at night
- Thread starter BIGSTICK
- Start date
Lots of folks like to DX on the AM band. There is a new ham band just below the AM broadcast band around 470 KHz that I want to try. Have to be careful with 470 KHz, lots of folks have set their backyard on fire using short monopole antennas with several hundred watt (high potentials output power. The insulators arc over. Around sunset or sunrise, there is a propagation mode called greyline that make for very long ranges along the arc on the earth where the sun is rising/setting.
It is one of my hobbies, have been doing it since the early 70s when clear channel frequencies really were clear. Like I said, the strength of WSB in Fargo that night was astounding, I am sure it went well up in to Manitoba....I got WHO pretty clear, WCCO was struggling, KMOX was just mediocre. Some Chicago stations were non listenable, Atlanta is about 1360 miles away. The time was about 10m, so 11pm ATL.. Please, others, add to your DX experiences....
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In my travels, I can usually get WSB-AM anywhere east of the Rockies. Once I have traveled west of the Rockies, I cannot receive it.
I did get it in Salt Lake City a few year's ago, and it came in clear as a bell in Bermuda last winter.
I'm in Atlanta, and in the car (a 2013 Accord--its AM section is really good; in the 2019 Odyssey, not so much; it barely pulls in 680 and 750) when I was commuting before dawn (before COVID) I would sometimes listen to WLS or KMOX or WLW in the morning. I could also get WHO, WGN, WOR, WABC, WSM, KDKA, WTAM. If I'm on the west side of town I can sometimes get WSM during the day. I need to start logging these receptions.
I also have a 1962 RCA console stereo, and as typical of something of that vintage the AM section is really good (once I turn off the computer, LED lights, and other sources of RFI). I can get all of those as well.
The one class A I can't get, for being as close as it is, is WBT. However, it is highly directional at night. WBT-AM Radio Station Coverage Map WWL out of NOLA is also iffy--it's also highly directional at night. I can easily get WWL at the beach during the day, but no dice in the ATL at night.
Any of the class A's at 1500 kHz and above--fuggedaboudit. Even WLAC.
I also have a 1962 RCA console stereo, and as typical of something of that vintage the AM section is really good (once I turn off the computer, LED lights, and other sources of RFI). I can get all of those as well.
The one class A I can't get, for being as close as it is, is WBT. However, it is highly directional at night. WBT-AM Radio Station Coverage Map WWL out of NOLA is also iffy--it's also highly directional at night. I can easily get WWL at the beach during the day, but no dice in the ATL at night.
Any of the class A's at 1500 kHz and above--fuggedaboudit. Even WLAC.
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JoeLouis
Guest
For some reason neither WSB or WCCO come in that good at night here in Connecticut, as far as the Chicago 50K outlets, only WBBM comes in pretty good WMAQ not at all, WGN OK sometimes and WCFL probably the best.
WBT is what used to be a II-A, as 1-A's were not directional except to favor land areas; WBZ and WWL were 1-A stations that pushed the equivalent of more than 50 kw over land, while reducing the power out over the ocean.
No, it is only moderately directional at night, sending less power towards Yucatán and Central America. But still I used to hear it easily when I lived in Ecuador.
There are no former 1-A's above 1210 in the US. Never were.
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JoeLouis
Guest
WCBM and WBAL in Baltimore are both 50kw by day except WBAL is non directional and WCBM wastes their 50kw since their signal is aimed at the Chesapeake Bay you would think being at 680 low end that it would be a powerhouse in any event. There are many 50ks above 1210 in the 1500s WTOP, WWKB, WPTR, WQXR aren't they 1-A?
Read the attachment I sent. There is no non-directional 50 kw station above 1210 in the US. 1220, 1570 and 1580 are Mexican 1-A clears, with 1220 and 1580 being allowed limited use in Canada and highly directional use in the US. 1540 is a Bahamian clear channel.
The others are all highly directional. In fact, WTOP had to move its successful format from AM to FM a few years ago because it no longer covered the growing DC market because of its lousy frequency and highly directional antenna.
The former 1-A's are 640, 650, 660, 670, 700, 720, 750, 760 ,770,780, 820, 830, 840, 870, 880, 890, 1020, 1030, 1040, 1100, 1120, 1160, 1180, 1200, 1210.
And the Class I, II, III and IV were reclassified quite a while back and are no longer identified that way. They are now A, B, C and D classes: AM Station Classes, and Clear, Regional, and Local Channels The chart on that page shows the former classes of the primary 1-A and 1-B stations under the old assignment system (not including the "breakdown" of the 1-A clears initiated in the 70's to provide enhanced rural radio service.)
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JoeLouis
Guest
I'm looking at some of the frequencies you listed, I can't believe how many I know by memory, 1180 (WHAM Rochester?) 840 (WHAS Louisville?) WTOP must have pointed their lousy directional signal at my town in New England because they blasted in here after sundown, so much so WFIF in nearby Milford (at 1500) got stomped way before their daytime sign off and they were 10,000 watts and only 7 miles away.
Here is where I got the info on the AM channels from 1500-1580: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clear-channel_station
Using Wikipedia for radio data, whether it be station histories, industry regulation or even technology is guaranteed to have at least a 50% chance of inaccuracy. That particular article gets a D- in my grading system.
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JoeLouis
Guest
I like Radio Locator for my info for type of format, broadcast radius maps, power output and wether they stream or not, just don't look up too many things up in one day because they will cut you off, saying you used your daily limit (never understood that one)
Try https://home.recnet.com/ instead.
Remember, on Radio Locator those innermost red contours are the only ones that come close to representing the area where actual listeners use the station.
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JoeLouis
Guest
I just tried the link you sent and it's very impressive I looked up WDRC FM in Hartford, and it really gets technical in some areas, the only thing about the "radius map" it only shows the total area whereas Locator show 3 segments (local, extended and fringe) other than that it is a very informative site, and I will probably use it from now on, thanks. I just hope if I look up too many items that they don't cut me off like locator does.
As I said, the Radio Locator outer two circles are useless. In FM they are unprotected contours of very low signal where other stations or translators can and will be located.
You can always send a dollar or two to recnet, there is a (hint, hint) link on the site. They don't cut you off. The manager of recnet is a "special area" moderator for this site in the LPFM specialty.
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JoeLouis
Guest
That sounds good, the only problem with LPFM that I found is that the FCC grants so many and too close together, if you're at home and relatively close to one it's OK, but in a car forget it stations overlap and fight with each other, 96.1 (Southington, CT and across the sound on Long Island) and 98.3 is treasure trove of LPFMs there must be 4 of them that I could hear at the same time in and out, I like the idea of LPFM translators WELI near me at 96.9 is great, but there's been complaints of interference with WELJ on Long island on both sides of the sound, apparently WELJ is a very popular Classic rock station, I just wish the FCC would extend the mileage allowed between these stations.
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JoeLouis
Guest
I'm a bit confused, is there a difference between LPFMs and translator stations LPFMs have regular call letters e.g. KFXM LP and translators have signs like w245dk, what is the difference? anyone help me out on this one.
Low Power FM (LPFM) Broadcast Radio Stations
In the following sections, we provide some basic information about Low Power (LPFM) radio stations (licensed service) and the related application processes. Contents Introduction LPFM Filing Window Periods Find LPFM Records via the FM Query Low Power FM Opportunities Map LPFM...
FM Translators and Boosters
General information about FM translator and FM booster stations is contained below. You can click on any of the topic headings in the Table of Contents to jump directly to a particular section or scroll through the topics that start sequentially after the Table of Contents. Contents What Is...
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