Bustos Back in Seattle

[Unregistered]

Bustos Media has bought back the stations it lost in Seattle in 2010. 99.3FM and 1210AM. Wonder if he is keeping the AM format the same or will flip it? He has a Russian station in Portland, perhaps he'll bring that format here?

 

[Bongwater]

That Russian station in Portland sounds TERRIBLE! Overmodulated, distorted, I'd be amazed if even the loneliest Russian in Portland can put up with it....

 

[Unregistered]

Well, the 1210AM signal is fairly good (in some areas), I don't think that what it sounds like in Portland will decide what it sounds like in Seattle. Proaly will go with one of their other Spanish formats though. Seems like they have several.

 

[fordranger797]

That Russian station in Portland sounds TERRIBLE! Overmodulated, distorted, I'd be amazed if even the loneliest Russian in Portland can put up with it....

Amen, and I cannot hear the CKWX 1130 anymore thanks to that stupid station. They wanted to go 50kw d/n on that Portland station but I think the FCC put an end to that.

 

[W7PAT]

Amen, and I cannot hear the CKWX 1130 anymore thanks to that stupid station. They wanted to go 50kw d/n on that Portland station but I think the FCC put an end to that.

Actually, 1130 is in Mt. Angel closer to Salem and the station is simulcasted on 1150 in Portland (transmitter in Vancouver, WA). Neither station can be heard on the west side of Portland at night.

 

[fordranger797]

Actually, 1130 is in Mt. Angel closer to Salem and the station is simulcasted on 1150 in Portland (transmitter in Vancouver, WA). Neither station can be heard on the west side of Portland at night.

I did some tests on this the other night. The Mount Angel station is weak at night, but strong during the day. I imagine that they are pretty powerful in Portland during daylight operation.

 

[bobdavcav]

I do not understand the simulcast at all during daylight hours. Both signals sound at about equal strength here in Vancouver during the day. I have a hard time picking up either at night.

 

[fordranger797]

I do not understand the simulcast at all during daylight hours. Both signals sound at about equal strength here in Vancouver during the day. I have a hard time picking up either at night.

You're in the Portland area now, Bob?

Interesting observation, though. Did you get anything else on 1130, or was that Mount Angel station coming through faintly? Considering how much farther north than you are, it seems crazy that i'd be getting such a strong lock on the signal from Mount Angel during the daylight hours.

 

[W7PAT]

The main lobe for the Mt. Angel (1130) station during the day is aimed at NE Portland. At night, the main lobe is south toward Salem. CKWX was complaining of interference a couple of years ago, I'm not sure if that is still the case now.

 

[bobdavcav]

You're in the Portland area now, Bob?

Interesting observation, though. Did you get anything else on 1130, or was that Mount Angel station coming through faintly? Considering how much farther north than you are, it seems crazy that i'd be getting such a strong lock on the signal from Mount Angel during the daylight hours.

Yeah, I'm down here till June. Once I get a new set of batteries for the G8, I'll have to check 1130 at night. Nothing comes in during the day except Mount Angel.

 

[fordranger797]

Yeah, I'm down here till June. Once I get a new set of batteries for the G8, I'll have to check 1130 at night. Nothing comes in during the day except Mount Angel.

Cool, I hope you're liking it down there. If you're down there with a car, you may have better luck on the car stereo rather than the G8. The radio in my Honda Accord is great for dxing or signal strength testing.

 

[bobdavcav]

Nope, no car down here, although I wonder how the staff would respond if I asked to borrow their keys then spent a couple hours DXing from their car radios? As my parents were dropping me off down here, we did notice that KDUK was much stronger on the car radio than on the G8.

 

[fordranger797]

Nope, no car down here, although I wonder how the staff would respond if I asked to borrow their keys then spent a couple hours DXing from their car radios? As my parents were dropping me off down here, we did notice that KDUK was much stronger on the car radio than on the G8.

Probably not well. They probably like to keep their car batteries juiced up . It seems like car radios have been the best for dx or tropospheric signals though. The radio in my car pulls in distant AM skywave signals with ease, same for distant FM signals. I don't bother using my superadio or Grundig radio for much these days.

I do hope you post some sort of bandscan in the future though!

 

[bobdavcav]

I'll do that.I'm not n I'm getting batteries for the G8, but I'll do that when that happens.

 

[fordranger797]

I'll do that.I'm not n I'm getting batteries for the G8, but I'll do that when that happens.

Great! That's a very unique market down there.

 

[Goldilocks94941]

The Mt Angel station causes severe interference to reception of CKWX as far as the Canadian border, and even well into Canada. it makes CKWX unlistenable for much of the day in the North Seattle suburbs where I live. Even this morning at 9:30, I heard Russian religious music from Mt Angel under a news report on CKWX, as if it was part of the news production! A little closer to sunrise/sunset and the interference on what otherwise would be a steady signal from Vancouver creates a tug of war, and Oregon usually wins, until that station reduces power and signal to the north at sundown. This happens at least two hours after local sunrise and before local sunset - a case for a critical hours pattern and power adjustment in Oregon if there ever was one.
I don't know what measures Rogers, the licensee of CKWX, have formally petitioned for redress on this, but I have a feeling they haven't, or just don't know what do to about it with American broadcast authorities. Covering up one of only two all-news stations in the region with time brokered Russian language religious programming is a stunning example of how misplaced priorities are in "managing" the spectrum around here! If CKWX were a US signal licensed to Blaine Washington, perhaps the new station in Oregon couldn't have been built with such high power aimed this way. But CKWX is a 50kw directional signal, coming from about 20 miles north of the border, authorized to have nighttime coverage into the US, and really needs to have some priority on AM1130.

 

[fordranger797]

The Mt Angel station causes severe interference to reception of CKWX as far as the Canadian border, and even well into Canada. it makes CKWX unlistenable for much of the day in the North Seattle suburbs where I live. Even this morning at 9:30, I heard Russian religious music from Mt Angel under a news report on CKWX, as if it was part of the news production! A little closer to sunrise/sunset and the interference on what otherwise would be a steady signal from Vancouver creates a tug of war, and Oregon usually wins, until that station reduces power and signal to the north at sundown. This happens at least two hours after local sunrise and before local sunset - a case for a critical hours pattern and power adjustment in Oregon if there ever was one.
I don't know what measures Rogers, the licensee of CKWX, have formally petitioned for redress on this, but I have a feeling they haven't, or just don't know what do to about it with American broadcast authorities. Covering up one of only two all-news stations in the region with time brokered Russian language religious programming is a stunning example of how misplaced priorities are in "managing" the spectrum around here! If CKWX were a US signal licensed to Blaine Washington, perhaps the new station in Oregon couldn't have been built with such high power aimed this way. But CKWX is a 50kw directional signal, coming from about 20 miles north of the border, authorized to have nighttime coverage into the US, and really needs to have some priority on AM1130.

That Mount Angel station needs to move WAY down in power or be shut down completely. By the time you are north of Seattle, you should have a solid lock on CKWX (and nothing else). The basic fundamentals of the radio dial still apply, the station that was on first, with the class A license, takes priority to a station that moves in (and proceeds to damage the coverage area). I know that many people will not agree with me on this one.

 

[bobdavcav]

GL, I'm not sure what you're smoking when you post some of these reception reports. The Grundig G8 is a pretty good radio and I don't hear any of what you're describing from my house not far from you.

 

[Goldilocks94941]

If you're trying CKWX AM 1130 during the daytime hours, within a couple of hours of local sunrise and sunset, you'll hear the mash up of signals loud and clear. Should otherwise be OK to pick up Vancouver midday and nights. Maybe you're actually listing to a different frequency, or catching the signal after local sunset (6:30pm this month, I believe) when Mt Angel powers down and doesn't interfere until the next sunrise. There's no mistaking the audio mess. Sounds like old Soviet era Russians are jamming the news! It's like that everywhere until you get into Canada, since the Oregon station aims its high daytime power straight at us in Seattle. Maybe not quite as bad around Bellingham, when you get into a stronger CKWX signal lobe, but I've heard the interference well north of the border. Makes it one more station I'm not able to listen to anymore, much of the time.

 

[Bongwater]

If you're trying CKWX AM 1130 during the daytime hours, within a couple of hours of local sunrise and sunset, you'll hear the mash up of signals loud and clear. Should otherwise be OK to pick up Vancouver midday and nights. Maybe you're actually listing to a different frequency, or catching the signal after local sunset (6:30pm this month, I believe) when Mt Angel powers down and doesn't interfere until the next sunrise. There's no mistaking the audio mess. Sounds like old Soviet era Russians are jamming the news! It's like that everywhere until you get into Canada, since the Oregon station aims its high daytime power straight at us in Seattle. Maybe not quite as bad around Bellingham, when you get into a stronger CKWX signal lobe, but I've heard the interference well north of the border. Makes it one more station I'm not able to listen to anymore, much of the time.

Goldilocks' claims have some merit Bob. I've heard KQRR driving through Skagit County and it nearly overwhelms CKWX sometimes. And I often listen to CKWX in the early mornings for news. CKWX has a big signal and there should be nothing but CKWX on 1130 kHz in Northwest WA. But KQRR doesn't have to do a thing, as the border protections that were established over 70 years ago are no longer in effect. On AM as well as FM.