AM Freqqency of the Week: 1630

[asugeorge1]

>> ' ...It's amazing what 1KW can do on what was then a clear channel....' <<

Yessir, Radioman.

Although regional 1150 was never a 'clear' channel, it certainly *could* be on Monday mornings.
I never caught the calls of the Mexican station that was always there on 1150 overnight -- I have them listed simply as 'Mexico' -- but 'Lo' : there was scheduled a DX test from KIIS Los Angeles one MM. That would've been back in the late 60's.
According to an old National Radio Club logbook, KIIS was 5000 omni day and 1000 omni night at the time. So hearing that gosh-darned 1150 CALIFORNIA test broadcast from the den near Kennedy Airport in Queens was almost as effortless as tuning in WPOP 1410 Hartford, or WHHH 1440 from Ohio, or WVMT 620 Vermont, or any other regional fringe station.

IIrc, about halfway through the 1/2 hour test, KIIS 1150 dropped to 1000 watts.
And they were STILL there! They were weaker, yes, but still suitably readable.
1000 watts. From California to NYC.

So those X-band stations -- 1000 watts omni at night -- got out really fine.

That’s impressive! Not a lot of examples of that today, but 1700 AM can still produce some impressive results showing how a signal on a “clear” frequency can go far with mediocre power. Take for example ESPN 1700 XEPE-AM, Tecate, Baja California, México (serving San Diego, California). That 10,000 watt signal can be heard up and down the west coast with relative ease. On my frequent trips up to Canada, I’ve heard ESPN 1700 up in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton. And the impressive thing is, there is no other signal in the background up there! Down here where I live in Phoenix, XEPE-AM is dominant, but sometimes that flamethrower from Brownsville, Texas, KVNS, rises to the top with their 880 watts of power. I remember seeing a YouTube video of a guy in the UK receiving KVNS back when they were airing a classic hits format. That 880 watts made it all the way to the UK! Just shows you what a clear frequency can do for a signal.

 

[charlestondxman]

That’s impressive! Not a lot of examples of that today, but 1700 AM can still produce some impressive results showing how a signal on a “clear” frequency can go far with mediocre power. Take for example ESPN 1700 XEPE-AM, Tecate, Baja California, México (serving San Diego, California). That 10,000 watt signal can be heard up and down the west coast with relative ease. On my frequent trips up to Canada, I’ve heard ESPN 1700 up in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton. And the impressive thing is, there is no other signal in the background up there! Down here where I live in Phoenix, XEPE-AM is dominant, but sometimes that flamethrower from Brownsville, Texas, KVNS, rises to the top with their 880 watts of power. I remember seeing a YouTube video of a guy in the UK receiving KVNS back when they were airing a classic hits format. That 880 watts made it all the way to the UK! Just shows you what a clear frequency can do for a signal.

1700 AM is a sports station now in Brownsville, but I have heard it in SC at night. Probably 1000 miles or so. Talking about 1630, we have a carrier-current station that broadcast Christmas tunes during the Holiday Festival of Lights in November and December. That 10 watt signal can be heard 5+ miles away.

 

[kf4rca]

I used to get KCJJ here until WRDW moved to the frequency. 1700 is Huntsville ALA. Can get WVON Chicago on 1690 till about 9AM now that the local 1690 pulled the plug. The owner gave up and shut it down. In a local business publication, he basically said he didn't know what he was doing.

 

[cyberdad]

Talking about 1630, we have a carrier-current station that broadcast Christmas tunes during the Holiday Festival of Lights in November and December. That 10 watt signal can be heard 5+ miles away.

Very cool!

Both the carrier current station on 1630. As well as using it to broadcast Christmas music. During my college days, we had a carrier current student-run station on 570 that was listenable for about two miles on average, and had regular listenership from the "townies".

Fast forward to the present, and I have a "Whole House FM Transmitter" that gets out for about a block in all directions (on 92.1) that I feed with a couple of Christmas playlists. Spotify and iTunes, Usually around the middle of November, the neighbors start asking me "When are you going to turn that thing on?".

(Apologies for the veer)