AM Frequency of the week: 710

[CADXER]

Here in Wood Dale, IL in the near NW suburb of Chicago:

Daytime: nothing but WGN slopover
Nightime: usually WOR or the Cubans

DX/RETRO: being so close to the WGN 50 kW blowtorch this frequency does not provide many DX opportunities. Besides WOR and the Rebelde outlets the following have been heart at my location: KEEL (Shreveport, LA), WTPR (Paris, TN), WDSM (Superior, WI), CKVM (Ville-0Marie, PQ) and my most recent catch on this frequency WFNR (Blacksburg, VA) just last month.

 

[radioman148]

Impressive! Thanks!

Bob

You're welcome. I had never heard WHB before then, but it was a very good station in the late 60s when I heard it.

 

[cyberdad]

You're welcome. I had never heard WHB before then, but it was a very good station in the late 60s when I heard it.

Apologies for the slight veer, but at my college location in southeast Iowa (Mount Pleasant), I had the good fortune to be able to listen to three Storz stations on a daily...or nightly...basis. Daytime was KXOK and WHB. Both weak, but very listenable. At night, those two disappeared, but KOMA boomed in with a good signal.

I'd be hard pressed to say which one was "best" or "my favorite". They were all excellent. (And there was also "frosting on the cake" in the form of WLS, WIRL, KIOA, KSTT and a monster night signal from KAAY).

 

[Sonic37]

From the Newark area of New Jersey, WOR day and night. I can hear the Cuban stations in the background, if nulled carefully.

 

[DXBob]

Apologies for the slight veer, but at my college location in southeast Iowa (Mount Pleasant), I had the good fortune to be able to listen to three Storz stations on a daily...or nightly...basis. Daytime was KXOK and WHB. Both weak, but very listenable. At night, those two disappeared, but KOMA boomed in with a good signal.

I'd be hard pressed to say which one was "best" or "my favorite". They were all excellent. (And there was also "frosting on the cake" in the form of WLS, WIRL, KIOA, KSTT and a monster night signal from KAAY).

Interesting! I went to college in Macomb, IL, just 58 air miles from Mount Pleasant, IA. For Top 40 during daytime hours, the only listenable choices were KXOK, WLS and WIRL. WHB was too weak to be listenable and KIOA and KSTT could not be received. At night, WIRL disappeared [major null], KXOK was present but not listenable, WLS was prone to severe fading [likely, cancellation zone], KOMA was not listenable due to mixing with other stations on 1520, usually KRHW in Sikeston, MO and at times, WKBW in Buffalo, NY. We must have been just inside the major NE null for KOMA. The only listenable Top 40 choice at night was the amazing monster signal of KAAY. Near local strength most nights during that era. We did also listen to Top 40 KGRC - 92.9 - Hannibal, MO on the FM band. They put out a great signal during that era...

Bob

 

[cyberdad]

Interesting! I went to college in Macomb, IL, just 58 air miles from Mount Pleasant, IA. For Top 40 during daytime hours, the only listenable choices were KXOK, WLS and WIRL. WHB was too weak to be listenable and KIOA and KSTT could not be received. At night, WIRL disappeared [major null], KXOK was present but not listenable, WLS was prone to severe fading [likely, cancellation zone], KOMA was not listenable due to mixing with other stations on 1520, usually KRHW in Sikeston, MO and at times, WKBW in Buffalo, NY. We must have been just inside the major NE null for KOMA. The only listenable Top 40 choice at night was the amazing monster signal of KAAY. Near local strength most nights during that era. We did also listen to Top 40 KGRC - 92.9 - Hannibal, MO on the FM band. They put out a great signal during that era...

Bob

I know exactly what you're talking about, Bob. My wife went to school for a year at Western Illinois in Macomb, as did several friends, so I hung out there from time to time.

The Mississippi river was more or less the dividing line for most of those stations. WHB, as you alluded to, was audible, but not listenable. KIOA got stomped on by splatter from WTAD (930). KSTT was actually audible on a good car radio, but pretty much spent due to what amounted to a moderate daytime null to the south (and then a really severe null at night). And speaking of nulls, WIRL's nighttime null to the west (protecting KOIL) meant that it disappeared entirely where I was. And yes, WLS had cancellation issues just about everywhere in eastern Iowa. As for KOMA, the nighttime signal faded rapidly when you crossed the river into Illinois. As it was, WKBW would sometimes be present underneath KOMA...even in southeastern Iowa, which always surprised me.

 

[DXBob]

I know exactly what you're talking about, Bob. My wife went to school for a year at Western Illinois in Macomb, as did several friends, so I hung out there from time to time.

The Mississippi river was more or less the dividing line for most of those stations. WHB, as you alluded to, was audible, but not listenable. KIOA got stomped on by splatter from WTAD (930). KSTT was actually audible on a good car radio, but pretty much spent due to what amounted to a moderate daytime null to the south (and then a really severe null at night). And speaking of nulls, WIRL's nighttime null to the west (protecting KOIL) meant that it disappeared entirely where I was. And yes, WLS had cancellation issues just about everywhere in eastern Iowa. As for KOMA, the nighttime signal faded rapidly when you crossed the river into Illinois. As it was, WKBW would sometimes be present underneath KOMA...even in southeastern Iowa, which always surprised me.

Thanks for detailed reply and for the affirmation on my Macomb observations. I loved KOMA but was frustrated that I could not listen to them in Macomb. Yes, that nighttime WIRL null was very severe. One could actually view the WIRL towers at night across the Illinois River southwest of Peoria on U.S. 24 and yet WIRL was barely audible until you reached Bartonville, IL. My late uncle was the overnight engineer at the WIRL transmitter site and when I would visit him on occasion while he was working that null could be heard as a phasey mess within a half mile of the site. When I moved to Madison, WI after college, I could hear WIRL almost nightly there.

Bob

 

[jim-satx]

Daytime here is heavy splatter from 10 kW local 720 KSAH. I have managed to hear a very weak KURV in Edinburg, TX, while at a park a few miles away that's RFI-free.

At night KGNC in Amarillo is most dominant and doesn't fade much. Sometimes R. Rebelde will mix in. At best I can only get a partial null of KGNC aiming E/NE, and from that direction I've heard KEEL, KCMO, XEMP (Mexico City), and XEDP (Cd. Cuauhatémoc) popping up occasionally.

At sunrise, KEEL comes up fairly strong when going to day power and can often be heard over KGNC for a while. Sometimes KURV will come up weakly for a bit.