AM Frequency of the Week: 1010

[cyberdad]

Our adventure continues with the next stop at 1010. A few big signals reside there, but the question is exactly what is it that you gentlemen are hearing there?

Here in the far northwest Chicago 'burbs, during the daytime, it's all splatter from local blowtorch WMVP.

At night I'm near the edge of WMVP's null, so 1010 becomes easier duty. More often than not, a weak CFRB manages to climb on top. Less often it's a weak WINS, or simply a mix of several unidentifiable signals. Sometimes at sunset, when WMVP goes to night pattern, KXEN from the St. Louis area can be heard before they power down.

 

[Schroedingers Cat]

One of the things that doesn't make sense is that WINS often seems to be as strong as the Class A nondirectional stations from New York City, even though WINS is highly directional and has to protect CFRB at a grandfathered level as a Class A under treaty. I keep looking to see if they are on STA, but even then, it would only be operating at 1/4 power nondirectional. I'm around 500 miles from it, so it can't be that the elevation angle of reflection would make that much difference. We're talking maybe 15 degrees elevation, not 45 or 60 degrees elevation.

 

[icybluelake]

I get almost nothing on 1010 nowadays. Daytime, maybe a weak but not listenable KRNI Mason City, IA. Nighttime, usually just static. CFRB used to be a regular but seems to be there only seldom and usually mixed in with other signals. I have caught CBR occasionally over the years. Never heard WINS here at home, but have picked them up elsewhere in the region.

 

[RyanHoward]

Warminster PA(Philly 'burbs):

WINS both day and night.

 

[radioman148]

In the near north Chicago burbs daytime all WMVP splatter. At night a weak to fair CFRB usually rises to the top. WINS can be heard less often and usually weak at my location. I also have heard KXEN a few times before sunset.

 

[cyberdad]

SC: WINS around here in the Chicago area is not as strong as the non-directional 50kw New York City stations. The difference is significant, although it's not always "night and day". WINS is also usually somewhat weaker here than WOR and WBBR.

 

[XNA DXer]

In Northwest Arkansas -

Daytime - Usually nothing

Early evening - Usually hearing KXEN, St. Louis, MO

Nighttime - A mix of stations -

I heard WINS, New York, NY - (Originally heard in 2011)
KTNZ, Amarillo, TX - (In January or February of 2016)
I have also heard CFRB, Toronto, ON - (On October 28, 2016, around 4:00 AM CDT)

 

[charlestondxman]

1010 in Charleston is a very interesting frequency. Here daytime it is usually WJXL Jacksonville Beach (1010XL, sports). Even though almost all their signal is pointed east from their transmitter west of Jacksonville, you can still hear them daytime with a OK signal. Not as strong as the other Jax AMs (600, 930, and especially 690) but it is listenable with a good radio.

At night, I sometimes get 1010XL, but usually it is WINS mixed with a few others. Sometimes Atlanta during critical hours, sometimes CFRB, sometimes others.

 

[Steve Green NEPA]

In the day here, NE PA, it's a bunch of nothing recently. Since I moved to hear I have a WTGC Lewistown logged and taped, but whatever they were are no more.

Both WINS and CFRB are nighttime loggings. Often, WINS comes in around sunset on a table/barbershop/barefoot Zenith.

One nice surprise, no doubt via the Mid-Winter anomaly, was a year or so ago, January: WCNL from New Hampshire, 3:30 PM, with Country music. It was mixing both with WINS and CFRB and often atop them both.

* * * * * * * *

Way way back in the DX days near JFK Airport, the loud, local WINS was off the air one afternoon. IIrc, it was around 2PM. A faint but steady WSID Baltimore was there with their R&B. That little signal got OUT! As a kid with my folks vacationing in Norfolk VA , I heard WSID on a cheesy clock radio. They and their Soul format just blew down Chesapeake Bay.

 

[schmave]

Here in Columbus, Ohio, nothing day and a pretty weak WINS at night if anything. I want to say I have heard CFRB here at night, but I am not totally sure.
Texas posters: Has the battle between KLAT and KBBW changed at all over the past few years? One of the more interesting short-spaced co-channel fights I've ever heard.

 

[Ai4i]

A bit off topic, but regarding CFRB, does anyone know whether CFRX is still around on 6070?
When I lived in Washington DC, they would fade in and out all day, but the Europeans would squash them at night.

 

[HGR1290]

Just checked, CFRX is loud and clear on 6070 in North Georgia.

Also since International SW is on a down swing, most of the time it has been clear at night here, but I have not listened to much SW of late.

 

[Ai4i]

Also since International SW is on a down swing, most of the time it has been clear at night here...

A good point.
The only other Canadian SW "translator" I used to hear was CHNX, relaying CHNS, but CHNS has moved from nine something-or-other to the FM band and I am pretty sure they closed the SW at the same time.

 

[Schroedingers Cat]

I was always amazed at how well CFRX came in on 49 meters with just 1000 watts with all the 100 kW plus stations on the band. Keep in mind that amateur radio operators could operate with 1000 watts AM on 40 meters. Never remember any amateurs with signals like that. There were and are a few regulars using AM that you hear on 80 meters, trying to remember the frequency. Could it be 3840? Although the last time I was trying to hear an SSB group on 80 meters on a receiver with a BFO that drifted.

 

[gr8oldies]

By day in East Tennessee, it's WKJW, Black Mountain NC (sister station of WKJV-1380 and I'll give you one guess as to what those call letters mean). Sometimes Atlanta makes it in on winter days. Nighttime I've received both WINS and CFRB

 

[NoMoreLurking]

SF Bay Area: Nothing but KIQI, San Francisco, broadcasting from three magnificent towers that add broadcast glitz to the Bay Bridge toll plaza. Their 500w nighttime signal is not great where I live but I cannot ID what's underneath. Possibly Delano or Palm Springs; probably not WINS or CFRB! KIQI now has a CP for higher night power (15kw) but previous applications that would have increased their day and night power either never became CPs, or did but expired before the facility could be upgraded. It'd be terrific to catch KIQI off the air and see what might be left...CBR? The aforementioned So Cal stations? Tolleson AZ? Oregon? I know that CBR is possible from far northern California (Redding area). But KIQI blocks 1010 DX here.

 

[jim-satx]

Daytime in S.A. is a weak-to-moderate KBBW in Waco. There’s a bit of splatter from semi-local daytimer KBIB on 1010 (which came back on the air today).

At night, amidst some splatter from XEOY on 1000, it’s KLAT fighting it out with XEHL “TDW” (deportes) in Zapopan. Also, KTNZ can usually be heard if I aim NW. One late night last year, I logged XEPA “Ke Buena” in Puebla.

At sunrise KTNZ is stronger, and I heard KXEN one sunrise a couple of years ago.

During one sunset last fall, I logged KXXT in Tolleson, AZ, briefly.

Regarding the KBBW/KLAT battle, I’ve never heard KLAT during the day in the three years since I’ve returned to DXing. Also, I don't recall hearing KBBW at night.

 

[FreddyE1977]

Here in Pittsburgh you get a pitched battle between CFRB and WINS (under the spatter of KDKA)

 

[icybluelake]

Here in Pittsburgh you get a pitched battle between CFRB and WINS (under the spatter of KDKA)

Speaking of pitched battles, one time while driving through central and western New York at night on Interstate 90, I landed on 1010 and heard among the more pitched battles that I have ever heard. It was like the two signals were muscling each other out -- both almost entirely audible and strong but a strain to listen to. Does this happen more frequently in other parts of the world, and I'm just unaccustomed to it? It reminded me of the few occasions when some Cuban blaster is coming in and surrounding another strong 50k US signal. Maybe this is common in western New York too, but it doesn't seem to happen too much in my part of the DX world.

 

[Schroedingers Cat]

Probably was that way in Europe, icybluelake, before the AM band began to be vacated. Anywhere where there is a treaty agreement to allow more than the normal interference protection would probably result in a similar situation as CFRB and WINS. CHUM and WEPN are another similar situation, but both are Class Bs. In those cases, the land areas within the country of origin are the only areas protected, and if the signal is strong on that land area, more interference is allowed under treaty. These situations use interference ratios. Outside of those protected areas, both signals may be very strong.