"Forgot" to Power Down

[cyberdad]

So much for trying to snag the R. Rebelde chorus on 1180 during a fairly significant auroral event last night. Instead, semi-local WSQR from Sycamore, IL was in with the same fair-good signal I'm used to hearing during the daytime. At night they're authorized at ONE watt, and I never hear them at that power level. Day power is 780 watts ND. Distance is about 25 miles southwest of me.

Normally at night, WHAM is all alone and strong enough to wipe out whatever might be left of Cuba.

It'll be interesting to check out 1180 again tonight. WSQR Owner Larry Nelson is usually pretty good about playing by the rules, so my guess is that they won't be on day power two nights in a row. But if they are, it'll be interesting to hear how they fare against WHAM if conditions are back to normal. Alternatively, if they power down like they're supposed to, and the auroral conditions are back, I'll be curious to learn if Rebelde can make it in.

If anyone wants to check out the channel tonight WSQR would be easy enough to recognize. They run a 70s-based classic hits format.

 

[The Harsh Reality]

We've got an overnight daytimer down this way, cyberdad. From your QTH, there's likely no way you'd snag it due to KAAY, but KULF Bellville Texas has been burning the midnight oil since the facility steward fell ill and then passed away recently. The 1kW signal sends more towards the water from NW of Houston, but I'd suspect those residing in central and southern Louisiana should be able to pick out an open carrier under KAAY at 1090. That would be KULF, a 1,000 watt Class D, you'd be able to add to the log. Get it while the getting is good, because the resident FCC agent had to go to the site and shut it down last year, when it did the very same thing. Suddenly, after a little better than a month, it returned to the air as the daytimer its licensed as.

...at least most of the time.

1180 may be a tough catch with local KGOL co-channel. Drops to 3kW at night from 13 NE of me, as the crow flies, so I will certainly give it a go. Thanks for the tip, c-dad.

 

[FreddyE1977]

Years ago there was a VERY prominent jock working at a local AM-FM combo here, where the AM at that
time was a daytimer (today it is one of those one-watt wonders).

I tuned in on the AM about half an hour after sundown and it was still going full-bore.
I thought I'd do the station a good turn, so I called and told him about it.

Did not believe me for a second. Basically called me a liar, said it could not happen,
and slammed the phone down.

I waited another hour till the next jock's shift began and called again.
I put the receiver up to my radio so that he could hear. He thanked me profusely,
and a couple minutes later that signal left the air.

 

[davideduardo]

I tuned in on the AM about half an hour after sundown and it was still going full-bore.
I thought I'd do the station a good turn, so I called and told him about it.

I had a comparable situation with then local KTUF 1580 which often had its 50 kw on after sunset when it was still a daytimer only.

As I was an active DXer, that was annoying. I called to let them know, and got the response, "So you're one of those!" and was hung up on. I dialed back, told the guy my next action was a letter to the FCC with a tape recording. The carrier dropped in less than 30 seconds.

 

[cyberdad]

I actually think what happened with WSQR last night was an honest mistake or oversight, but we'll see what tonight brings. Although this isn't the first time I've caught them running day power at night. But....there's no apparent or repeated pattern of violations. As I said, owner Larry Nelson has a reputation of abiding by the rules. Also since their first translator (of three) signed on about a couple of years ago, "92.9" has been prominent in their imaging. Bottom line is there wouldn't seem to be any reason for them to cheat with the AM.

 

[gr8oldies]

WDLR, 1550 in Delaware Ohio stays on day facilities 24/7 and has for a couple of years. It's pretty widely heard, from Tennessee to Wisconsin. Even with the translator they just got, they aren't powering down

 

[cyberdad]

Update...

I checked 1180 last night a little after 9pm CDT, and then again around 4:30 CDT this morning. WSQR was operating on day power. Actually 900 watts....not the 780 I had indicated earlier (sorry). Anyway, on each occasion, they were fighting it out with WHAM, but comfortably on top. The auroral event that had been going on Sunday night-Monday morning didn't seem to be totally absent, but appeared to be markedly weaker.

 

[cyberdad]

WDLR, 1550 in Delaware Ohio stays on day facilities 24/7 and has for a couple of years. It's pretty widely heard, from Tennessee to Wisconsin. Even with the translator they just got, they aren't powering down

I'm surprised I haven't heard them. I'll have to make an effort to see if I can pull them out of the mud.

 

[cyberdad]

WDLR, 1550 in Delaware Ohio stays on day facilities 24/7 and has for a couple of years. It's pretty widely heard, from Tennessee to Wisconsin. Even with the translator they just got, they aren't powering down

I'm surprised I haven't heard them. I'll have to make an effort to see if I can pull them out of the mud.

 

[billmich]

WDLR, 1550 in Delaware Ohio stays on day facilities 24/7 and has for a couple of years. It's pretty widely heard, from Tennessee to Wisconsin. Even with the translator they just got, they aren't powering down

One call to the CBC will get that taken care of quickly

 

[KR4BD]

WDLR-1550 is heard nightly here in Central Kentucky. They are somewhat directional this way, but sound quite good for the "flea power" they are authorized at night.

 

[gr8oldies]

Apparently no one has made that call.

 

[icybluelake]

And then there is the "mighty" 940, WCIT in Lima, Ohio, authorized to broadcast at a whopping 6 watts nighttime, which nevertheless winds up in eastern Iowa more than occasionally.

 

[gr8oldies]

Not surprising. We have a couple of locals in Knoxville that have tended not to sign off when required, I haven't checked lately but 1120 and 1180 were somewhat widely heard.

 

[cyberdad]

And then there is the "mighty" 940, WCIT in Lima, Ohio, authorized to broadcast at a whopping 6 watts nighttime, which nevertheless winds up in eastern Iowa more than occasionally.

Speaking of "mighty" and "eastern Iowa", when KNEI (Waukon, IIRC) was on 1160 allegedly with 26 watts nighttime, they were a rather frequent and easy catch here in the Chicago area. Then WYLL turned on their 50kw night blowtorch and that was the end of that.

 

[radioman148]

Speaking of "mighty" and "eastern Iowa", when KNEI (Waukon, IIRC) was on 1160 allegedly with 26 watts nighttime, they were a rather frequent and easy catch here in the Chicago area. Then WYLL turned on their 50kw night blowtorch and that was the end of that.

Did you get it underneath WJJD/WSCR when they ran 5KW D at night? I'm guessing you did since you were in their null before WYLL changed the night pattern.

 

[cyberdad]

Did you get it underneath WJJD/WSCR when they ran 5KW D at night? I'm guessing you did since you were in their null before WYLL changed the night pattern.

There wasn't really any "underneath" about it. When WJJD/WSCR/WYLL was at 5kw night from what's now their daytime site over by Dempster and the Tri-State Tollway, they pretty much disappeared here at night. They became just another weak signal in the mix. As it is now, even with a much improved signal at 50kw night, you can still hear stuff underneath WYLL.

 

[cyberdad]

Things have seemingly returned back to normal around here for nighttime 1180. WHAM was back in last night with a solid, if unspectacular, signal. No trace of WSQR.

In light of gr8oldies comments, I also dialed up 1550 last night, and didn't have to wait long. Less than a minute. Almost on cue and "made to order", up from the slop came a WDLR jingle referencing the call letters and "92.9". That was it. It faded as quickly as it came I didn't hear anything else that I could identify....including CBEF.

 

[icybluelake]

There wasn't really any "underneath" about it. When WJJD/WSCR/WYLL was at 5kw night from what's now their daytime site over by Dempster and the Tri-State Tollway, they pretty much disappeared here at night. They became just another weak signal in the mix. As it is now, even with a much improved signal at 50kw night, you can still hear stuff underneath WYLL.

Few subjects in the world confuse me as much as the history of WJJD/WYLL, starting with the fact that I am sure I vividly remember during my childhood one time being woken up in the middle of the night to go on vacation, turning on the radio and hearing WJJD on 1160 at, say, 3 AM. That should have been impossible, if they were indeed a daytimer in those days. Then years of 1160 Chicago appearing, disappearing, etc. from the nighttime airwaves in Iowa. So much so that KSL became a nighttime regular here. I recently learned that 1160 briefly simulcast WXRT (FM). I would have loved to hear that, but missed it altogether, and maybe it was never audible here anyway. Now KSL is virtually absent, WYLL comes and goes at night, and around here, 1160 is often taken up (though sporadically) by KCTO from the Kansas City area, making it on certain nights the most reliable signal on which to hear regional Mexican music, curiously though only at 230 watts. Which brings me back to this "mysterious" subject of pea-shooter nighttime signals somehow dwarfing 50kW blowtorches...

 

[radioman148]

Few subjects in the world confuse me as much as the history of WJJD/WYLL, starting with the fact that I am sure I vividly remember during my childhood one time being woken up in the middle of the night to go on vacation, turning on the radio and hearing WJJD on 1160 at, say, 3 AM. That should have been impossible, if they were indeed a daytimer in those days.

In the late 50s & 60s WJJD used to sign on around 4AM. I don't know exactly what the reason was unless KSL signed off for a period each night. I stand to be corrected if someone else knows the reason.