Music on Skywaves?

I will be driving from the southeast corner of the United States to the southwest corner of Canada in a few weeks.
Can any one suggest any big skywave AM's with music other than CFZM and the one that "Shield's Millions"?
Is there anything out West?
The radio has six AM presets, but I think the graveyard channels would get old fast.

As an alternate, you might consider using an appropriate app on a smartphone that is Bluetooth-paired or otherwise connected to your car radio. Very large selection of musical genres with few to no commercials, good S/N, and no fading as long as you can connect to the Internet.

rfry said:

As an alternate, you might consider...no fading...connect to the Internet.

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Our primary digital listening mode is already established.
Two satellites will be beaming constant streams to me.
Just wondering if anything is out there to spark memories of bygone distortion.

Well, I just looked over "The Zoomer"'s program schedule.
They should take me back a few decades.
They look like flipping across half of SiriusXM's pop category.

You might want to try for CKDO on 1580 from Oshawa, ON....about 30 miles east northeast of Toronto. Oldies. Signal is nowhere near as good as CFZM, but it's still a nighttime regular here in the Chicago area. If you like country music, there's CFCO from Chatham, Ontario on 630. Lately it's been booming in at my location on a nightly basis. Otherwise, it's audible daytime in Northern Ohio and Southeast Michigan. Speaking of Southeast Michigan, you can also catch CKWW on 580 with oldies.

Off the top of my head, I can't think of much that fits your description on the U.S. side of your route. KZQZ, 1430 from St. Lous, might work via skywave. They throw 50kw toward the northeast daytime, but at night they're down to 5kw and protecting Indianapolis. There's also a 1430 in Toronto.

Finally, I second Rich's suggestion that you give listening on a smart phone a try. Via either bluetooth, audio jack, or even using an FM Modulator. That's how I typically listen to music in a car, either from spotify, online stations, or a few terrestials, such as WTIX-FM, WIRL (Peoria, IL), WDJO, and even CFZM. There are dozens and dozens of others.

cyberdad said:

Finally, I second Rich's suggestion that you give listening on a smartphone a try.
Via either Bluetooth, audio jack, or even using an FM Modulator.

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My question is just one of, "what intersting skywave tunes are out there?".

ai4i said:

Our primary digital listening mode is already established.
Two satellites will be beaming constant streams to us.

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I don't know how far north it reaches, but maybe you might try 660 KTNN out of Window Rock, AZ? They do a mix of country and Navajo Indian music, at least from what I've heard. You might have a fighting chance once you get west of the Rockies, or west of AZ/NM, CO/UT state lines.

@ai4i: I misread your OP, I thought you were going to southeast Canada. Actually, it's southWEST. My bad, sorry! So....

You might want to set a preset for 880 once you're west of the Mississippi River. KRVN does a nice job covering the western U.S. and adjacent areas of Canada at night. You could also hear CKLQ depending on your location. Both KRVN and CKLQ program country music.

Then towards the Pacific Northwest coast, you should be within range of Seattle's KIXI, which has a music mix of oldies and standards not unlike CFZM.

Finally, depending on where you cross into Canada, you may find yourself within range of some Canadian Prairie stations with big signals. CKDM (730), CFRY (920), AND CFAM. All of these program country music to one extent or another. In Saskatchewan, there's CKRM (620) with country and CHAB (800) with oldies.

Hope this helps. Sorry I screwed up earlier.

Thanks, that is a lot of 411!
Interestingly, I have never heard of any of those station's.
Funny, but even when I was a child in 1960's Miami,
Canadian stations were very few and very far between.

You might try 680 KKYX in San Antonio TX. 50KW, all classic country.

Ke4kls said:

You might try 680 KKYX in San Antonio TX. 50KW, all classic country.

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It seems like this is the dominant format for overpowered AM music stations!

Ke4kls said:

You might try 680 KKYX in San Antonio TX. 50KW, all classic country.

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10 KW night

I have pulled in KKYX in Phoenix and other parts of Arizona before the pattern change and drop in power to 10KW.

When I was in southeast Iowa, the San Antionio 680 (KBAT?) used to blast in at sunset, completely blow out whatever was left of KFEQ, then disappear without a trace when they powered down and went to their DA. David's right, this may be very tough duty on skywave for you at night.

Here in Canyon Lake (35 Miles N of San Antonio), KKYX drops off significantly after going to the Night Pattern; it’s there, but prone to fading.

The signal is more consistent at night in Corpus ((150 miles away) and The Valley (250 Miles away) than it is here.

Cyberdad, you are correct regarding the KBAT Calls on 680. I was told the KBAT Calls were chosen as 680 was the San Antonio affiliate for the Astros back then. The calls were changed to KKYX in 1972.

dlf1 said:

Cyberdad, you are correct regarding the KBAT Calls on 680. I was told the KBAT Calls were chosen as 680 was the San Antonio affiliate for the Astros back then. The calls were changed to KKYX in 1972.

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Thanks! At the time it actually had crossed my mind that those calls somehow had something to do with San Antonio, Texas (SAT) or, even more implausible, were connected with "Batman", a very "in" TV series in those days. LOL

Plenty of Canadians running music - 800 CKOR Penticton is quite strong at night here with their EZ Rock format. Lately have had good signals from CKBI/900 and CJNB/1050, both country from SK. Heard a faint CFAM/950 on Thursday night with classical under KJR. Too bad CKMX is now comedy.

Looks like a lot of signal challenged stations at my ultimate destination.