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AM Frequency of the week: 820

cyberdad

cyberdad

Back to what used to be the "I-A" clears for a few weeks. First stop: 820....

Days: Here 40 miles northwest of downtown Chicago it's all WCPT with a good signal....

Nights: WBAP and WCPT at roughly equal strength, although WBAP is typically slightly stronger. Since the two signals come it at nearly right angles, if you orient your radio to the southwest, it's all WBAP. Turn it to the south-southeast, and it's all WCPT. I've also heard CHAM a couple of times.

Critical Hours: With WCPT on day power (5kw ND), WBAP can typically be heard underneath WCPT for about a half hour to an hour in the morning or evening, as the case may be.

Other Location: You don't have to go too far into Wisconsin to find CHAM getting into the mix at night. Perhaps an hour or so north of the state line. By the time you get to northern Wisconsin, you can frequently null WBAP and get all CHAM. By the time you get to Lake Superior and points north, it can be CHAM on top more often than not.
 
In the near north Chicago suburbs it's all WCPT during the day with a good signal. At night WCPT & WBAP fight it out. At my location they come from about the same direction so there is no way to null.
CHAM has been heard here a few times along with WWBA Largo, Fl before sunrise during the winter.
 
Reynoldsburg, Ohio ...
* Daytime: Local WVSG (ex-WOSU, as I like to add in these posts). 5,000 omnidirectional watts daytime broadcasting St. Gabriel Catholic Radio.
* Nighttime: At Dallas sunset, WVSG drops to 790 watts and goes to a highly directional pattern to protect WBAP. It's quite effective, as well; one can hear WBAP to within 15 miles or so of the tower, probably less, coming up I-71 into Columbus from the southwest. WVSG effectively is lost in the mud within five miles of its tower if you're behind the pattern.
 
East Tennessee: Daytime: nothing
Sunrise/sunset: The artist formerly known as WOSU (WVSG); or WWBA, Largo, FL.
Night: WBAP.
 
schmave said:
Reynoldsburg, Ohio ...

.....* Nighttime: At Dallas sunset, WVSG drops to 790 watts and goes to a highly directional pattern to protect WBAP. It's quite effective, as well; one can hear WBAP to within 15 miles or so of the tower, probably less, coming up I-71 into Columbus from the southwest. WVSG effectively is lost in the mud within five miles of its tower if you're behind the pattern.
Click to expand...

In WCPT's former life, as WAIT, their tower(s) was a few miles southwest of where they are now at what used to be a chicken farm just north of Elmhurst, IL. During the daytime, that location actually produced a better signal than the current one, although both are 5KW ND. When they added nightime operations with a highlyt directional 1KW, it was a different story entirely. You could hear WBAP while still within sight of their towers. Starting about a mile and a half away from the chicken farm on the Eisenhower Expressway extension. WAIT was unlistenable in much of the city of Chicago. At my location, things weren't much different than they are now....WBAP and WAIT fighting it out.

When current owner Fred Eychaner (sp?) took over in the early 2000s, he solved the night signal problem...partially....by adding a second transmitter location for nighttime operations at 1.5KW about ten miles south of the daytime site.
 
schmave said:
Reynoldsburg, Ohio ...

.....* Nighttime: At Dallas sunset, WVSG drops to 790 watts and goes to a highly directional pattern to protect WBAP. It's quite effective, as well; one can hear WBAP to within 15 miles or so of the tower, probably less, coming up I-71 into Columbus from the southwest. WVSG effectively is lost in the mud within five miles of its tower if you're behind the pattern.
Click to expand...

In WCPT's former life, as WAIT, their tower(s) was a few miles southwest of where they are now at what used to be a chicken farm just north of Elmhurst, IL. During the daytime, that location actually produced a better signal than the current one, although both are 5KW ND. When they added nightime operations with a highlyt directional 1KW, it was a different story entirely. You could hear WBAP while still within sight of their towers. Starting about a mile and a half away from the chicken farm on the Eisenhower Expressway extension. WAIT was unlistenable in much of the city of Chicago. At my location, things weren't much different than they are now....WBAP and WAIT fighting it out.

When current owner Fred Eychaner (sp?) took over in the early 2000s, he solved the night signal problem...partially....by adding a second transmitter location for nighttime operations at 1.5KW about ten miles south of the daytime site.
 
Didn't WAIT put in an application for fulltime decades ahead with the stipulation that if the Clear Channels were ever broken up, they would accept it as filed, probably not covering much of Chicago at Night? I think WJJD did also. WAAF was another story, they had to wait until they allowed more power at Night from the second site, despite being one of th 50 oldest stations in the US. They were too close to WWJ to use even 500 watts ND.
 
First of all, my apologies for the duplicate post. I'm not sure what happened. My first indication was that it didn't post. Quickly followed by an indication that it did. Oh well....

Schroedingers Cat said:
Didn't WAIT put in an application for fulltime decades ahead with the stipulation that if the Clear Channels were ever broken up, they would accept it as filed, probably not covering much of Chicago at Night? I think WJJD did also. WAAF was another story, they had to wait until they allowed more power at Night from the second site, despite being one of th 50 oldest stations in the US. They were too close to WWJ to use even 500 watts ND.
Click to expand...

I don't recall the specific chain of events that you related regarding WAIT, but I do know that they had been trying to get night authorization for a long time before they were finally able to. So you may be correct. And you're are definitely correct that when WAIT finally came on at night, the signal was not listenable over much, if not most, of the metro area. WJJD? They're most remembered for their "now you hear us, now you don't" pre-sunrise operations at the mercy of KSL's schedule. Their first incarnation of fulltime night broadcasting involved a rather lame signal from what is now their daytime transmitter location. Even now, with 50KW from two different sites, the night signal where I am has clearly audible stuff underneath....despite something like effectively 30KW aimed at me. WAAF? I can usually hear the Chicago 950 most of the time here at night, but mostly what I hear is WWJ.
 
Houston day and night - WBAP. Sometimes something can be heard faintly underneath at night.
 
Daytime, sometimes a weak WCPT.
Nighttime, usually WBAP. Have heard CHAM Hamilton a few times and WVSG Columbus once or twice.

Retro: WBAP used to be rock solid, night after night. Nowadays, there is more stuff on 820 and WBAP isn't a sure bet.
 
In Charleston daytime: Tampa, one of my farthest daytime regulars. It's a very weak signal, but it is usually there. At night, it's a mix of stations, but usually WBAP is the dominant if there isn't a lot of noise.
 
charlestondxman said:
In Charleston daytime: Tampa, one of my farthest daytime regulars. It's a very weak signal, but it is usually there. At night, it's a mix of stations, but usually WBAP is the dominant if there isn't a lot of noise.
Click to expand...

WBAP was an easy catch in Daytona Beach and Melbourne, FL when Tampa was off. Impressive signal for being as far as it was.
 
unclehonkey said:
yes
crazy thing is they are also a "sub" on the FM side (KMNB 102.9-2). Dont get why a 50kw flamethrower needs to be a subchannel on FM
Click to expand...

The reason is that some people don't use the AM band at all due to noise, perception and quality. The folks at WCCO likely believe that they might pick up a few additional listeners by simulcasting on the HD channel
 
In NW San Antonio it's a weak WBAP in the daytime. WBAP is pretty strong at night but subject to fades. XEBA "La Consentida" in Guadalajara can usually be heard in the background, and it sometimes takes over for a bit.

I heard a very weak XEBM in San Luis Potosi once back in January. It was playing regional Mexican music and IDed as 105.7

Also, in the partial null of WBAP, if I tune up a bit to avoid splatter from local KYTY, I can sometimes hear a weak R. Ciudad de La Habana.
 
Warminster PA(Philly 'burbs):

Daytime: WNYC New York(very weak).
Night: same station, but a whole lot stronger. Before WNYC moved here, I used to hear WBAP from Dallas on occasions.
 
Yakima WA
Days - very weak KGNW Seattle (Religion)
Nights - Usually just KGNW, on good nights I can hear WBAP Fort Worth (News/Talk) under, sometimes very strong. XEABCA Mexicali (ABC Radio) has been heard many times as well, usually auroral conditions.
At sunset, I can usually get KUTR Taylorsville UT (Religion), sometimes very strong on 50KW. I also heard KWDP Waldport OR once at sunset with Adult Standards, 1KW days.

The one 820 I REALLY need, and has been heard in BC many times, is CHAM Hamilton ON. I can't seem to get through KGNW and/or WBAP, even when CHML-900 is in. They should be a piece of cake with their comedy format, but it's difficult here.
 
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