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AM Frequency of the week: 720

cyberdad

cyberdad

Far northwest suburbs of Chicago, it's local blowtorch WGN 24/7. On the rare occasions when it's been off at night, I've heard a very weak Spanish signal. Presumably Cuba, but I haven't been able to identify it.

Other Locations: I've logged lots of business trips to both the West Coast as well as Ontario and Quebec in Canada. On the west coast 720 is usually KDWN, although I've heard WGN underneath as well as WGN alone when KDWN has been off.

In Canada, 720 was the home of oldies on CHTN from Prince Edward Island. 7.5kw nights. I'd typically start hearing CHTN
under or mixing with WGN northeast of Toronto. Then on top, if not alone, east of Ottawa
 
In the near north Chicago suburbs it’s all WGN day and night very strong. In the few instances that WGN has been off I’ve heard a weak Spanish language station. Don’t know where it’s coming from.

Retro/other: when on the west coast it’s KDWN, but back in the 60s and early 70s WGN was a pretty easy nighttime catch out west. Recently on the Hawaii SDR WGN can be heard under KDWN and sometimes very competitive with it. I did hear WGN once or twice on the Arctic SDR about 2 weeks ago.
 
Yakima WA

Day - If anything, very weak KFIR Sweet Home OR (News/Talk)
Night - KDWN Las Vegas (News/Talk), aforementioned KFIR and sometimes WGN Chicago (News/Talk).

Don't have anything to try for here, as everything (yes, including KOTZ) is next to impossible.
 
East Tennessee: WGCR, Pisgah Forest NC by day. WGN by night.

Retro/other: WGN isn't the full story. The aforementioned WGCR has been noted in Dayton, Ohio and as close to Chicago as the northside of Indianapolis around sunset. They are 50kW day but 15kW Critical hours. 15k is more than adequate to reach Ohio and Indiana, one would think. (What does "Non-Directional Antenna - Different constants day and night" mean in WGCR's case?). Also have noted WVCC, Hoganville, GA around sunset.
 
There are actually 50% more stations logged here during the DXing ennui years in NE PA than are on the log from the feverish, peer-pressure, contact-sport years back in Queens.

Days here: WHYF Shiremanstown PA (outside of Harrisburg), weak but omniverous. I have them logged as WWII.

Nights: CHTN from somewhere in Canada, and WGN.

* * * * * * *

Retro Queens NYC years I only have 'Cuba' in the logbook -- might they be your SS unID, radioman ? -- and something out of (I think) Chicago that I never IDed.
 
720 AM here daytime with a good radio is WRZN Hernando, FL (north of Tampa). When our local 730 was off air a few years ago, you could clearly hear them (weak, but it was there) in Charleston.

WGN has surprising strength on cold winter days. I’ve heard them near Savannah, GA daytime, and in Charleston.
 
Here in Wood Dale, IL in the near NW suburb of Chicago:

Daytime: WGN
Nightime: WGN

DX/RETRO: being just 5 miles from the WGN blowtorch, the only DX happens only when they go off the air, which quite rare. The only tree stations logged when they were off in the past are CHTN (Charlottetown, PEI), YVQE (Porlomar, Venezuela) and XEDE (Saltillo, Mexico)
 
From far south suburban KC:

Day: Splatter from local 10kW KCMO on 710 kHz.

Critical Hours: The same except that WGN often breaks through late in the critical hours time period.

Night: WGN with occasional splatter from adjacent KCMO.

Bob
 
Reynoldsburg, Ohio (suburban Columbus) ...
* Daytime: If anything, a very weak WGN. It absolutely can make it this far, especially during the winter.
* Critical hours: WGN and WGCR usually duke it out. As gr8 mentioned, WGCR is more than capable of stomping on WGN in areas where the latter otherwise would be heard quite well.
I remember that being the case one night back in September 2004 when WGCR was authorized to stay on late during a hurricane. It wrecked WGN while I was trying to listen to a Cubs-Reds game although at some point, WGCR finally signed off.
* Nighttime: WGN. It's every bit as strong and consistent here as WMVP.
 
From west Houston, days I get KSAH Norteno 720 from Universal City, TX (San Antonio). At night, mostly WGN after KSAH drops to 890 watts. In auroral conditions, it's a mix of Spanish language - I have a tentative reception of the Venezuelan a couple of years ago, but have failed to ID it.
 
Steve Green NEPA said:
....CHTN from somewhere in Canada.....
Click to expand...

So I researched CHTN. COL Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Canada's smallest province. Signed on in 1974 on 1190. Moved to 720 in 1987 basically to dodge night interference from WOWO. Migrated to FM and turned off 720 in 2006.
 
Thanks, Cyber!

I blew dust off some old logbooks from my NE PA digs and found the date of the CHTN 'catch' as 6-2-94. That logging was from three residences ago out here! In 1994 I had just moved here to NE PA from Long Island. The PA reception would have been off a 6-tube Zenith Barbershop Special radio. Wonderful radio.

* * * * * * *

And indeed, there is an ID logged from CHTN from back near JFK Airport as well -- on 1190 !

* * * * * * *

And I couldn't remember where from Canada CHTN broadcast. DuH, Green. C H T N. dummy. CH arle T own N.
 
Here in Phoenix, AZ, it’s usually KDWN, but since we are in one of KDWN’s weaker lobes, I can usually null KDWN on my portable radios and snag WGN. If I’m in the car, it’s almost always KDWN, but sometimes WGN rises to the top or is fighting it out in the background. A good indicator that WGN is in the background is their unique top of the hour tone which can be heard even in the worst conditions. KSL is the only other station I know with a unique top of the hour sounder with church bells. I wish more stations did this, it’s a great way to know preciously when the top of the hour is!
 
Days...A very faint KDWN on my best, most sensitive radios ( usually after 3PM during the winter months ). All other times of the year, nothing on the band.

Nights..A very strong KDWN, with a bit of Coast 2 Coast underneath which I have figured was coming from KFIR ( Must be on day power ), unless C2C is on WGN.

Winter days/nights are much different than the rest of the year. In previous posts were I said nothing was received during the day, I'm getting all sorts of faint stations coming in after 2 and 3 PM. Maybe the time of year should be added in.
 
Last edited:
wildthangjim said:
From west Houston, days I get KSAH Norteno 720 from Universal City, TX (San Antonio). At night, mostly WGN after KSAH drops to 890 watts. In auroral conditions, it's a mix of Spanish language - I have a tentative reception of the Venezuelan a couple of years ago, but have failed to ID it.
Click to expand...

KSAH is one of my locals and runs at 10 kW by day. When it goes to night power, I can get a pretty good partial null aiming N-NW, in which I can hear WGN and XEDE taking turns swapping out. I do get a bit of splatter from 60 kW powerhouse 730 XEX.

Wildthangjim - I didn't realize that auroral conditions could reach down this far. How often have you experienced them in Houston?
 
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