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AM Frequency of the Week: 600

cyberdad

cyberdad

40- miles northwest of downtown Chicago.....

Days: WMT (Cedar Rapids, IA. 5kw ND). Weak but alone and reliable in noise-free areas.

Nights: Last time we did 600 as FOTW, SC calulated that WMT's night pattern sends about 1kw in my direction, The result is that WMT is the most likely to rise to to the top, but its not exactly reliable or regular.

Sunrise-Sunset: I've heard WREC (Memphis) and CKAT (North Bay, Ontario) a few times, but not recently.

Retro: "Back in the day", 600 was the place to hear English language rebroadcasts of Radio Moscow from Cuba. I'm not sure what the power was, but undoubtedly it was one of those infamous Czech-built behemoth transmitters. The signal around here was usually pretty good.

Fun fact: WMT's day signal is the only one....AM or FM....that's listenable for the entire 360-mile drive from my home in the Chicago area to the Twin Cities.
 
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From the far SW suburbs of Kansas City:

Unfortunately, reception on 600 kHz is largely obstructed here by heavy splatter from local KCSP on 610 kHz [5 kW, ND]. However, I can hear WMT under the splatter during critical hours and occasionally at night. Recently, KCSP was off the air for a few hours during the day and WMT was clearly listenable at 261 miles. If you travel north on I-35 toward Des Moines, WMT rises in signal strength quickly.

Bob
 
In the near north Chicago suburbs WMT is in all day with a fair but reliable signal. At night it’s a mix between a weaker WMT and others such as WREC.
Where I am now in the Southern Cal desert KOGO has a Fair to decent signal on a good radio during the day. At night mostly a weak KOGO.
 
600 Vancouver BC was moved to FM 100.5 back in 2008, has been a very quiet frequency in the PNW since. However, Sher-E-Punjab Ltd. now has a CP to build a 50/20 directional "ethnic" station. Ethnic in this case mainly S and SE Asian culture and music. Will be interesting to see how far they get out- they are supposed to complete the build out this summer.
 
Here in Wood Dale, IL in the near NW suburb of Chicago:

Daytime: WMT, Cedar Rapids, IA
Nightime: open frequency with WMT frequent visitor

DX/RETRO: In 1980's Cuba ruled this frequency at night with their blowtorch (WRTH claimed it was 150 kW) carrying Radio Moscow World Service besides Radio Rebelde. I remember driving on Lake Shore Drive with Radio Moscow blasting on 600 kHz in my car. Other catches include CKAT (North Bay, ON), KSJB (Jamestown, ND), WREC (Memphis, TN), WCHT (Escanaba, MI), WICC (Bridgeport, CT), WCAO (Baltimore, MD, WKLW (Paintsville, KY), WSJS (Winston, NC), and WBOB (Jacksonville, FL with full power during during a hurricane). Barranquilla, Colombia also heard on this frequency in the past.
 
CADXER said:
Here in Wood Dale, IL in the near NW suburb of Chicago:

Daytime: WMT, Cedar Rapids, IA
Nightime: open frequency with WMT frequent visitor

DX/RETRO: In 1980's Cuba ruled this frequency at night with their blowtorch (WRTH claimed it was 150 kW) carrying Radio Moscow World Service besides Radio Rebelde. I remember driving on Lake Shore Drive with Radio Moscow blasting on 600 kHz in my car. Other catches include CKAT (North Bay, ON), KSJB (Jamestown, ND), WREC (Memphis, TN), WCHT (Escanaba, MI), WICC (Bridgeport, CT), WCAO (Baltimore, MD, WKLW (Paintsville, KY), WSJS (Winston, NC), and WBOB (Jacksonville, FL with full power during during a hurricane). Barranquilla, Colombia also heard on this frequency in the past.
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I remember that Radio Moscow station from Cuba on 600. I could hear it on my car radio nightly in the Chicago area during the early 80s.
 
From west Houston, days is all slop from local KILT 610. At sunset, I've ID'd KTBB Tyler, TX, WREC Memphis, and Radio Rebelde. At night it's a jumble with KTBB most often rising to the top.

I should be able to hear WVOG New Orleans and KROD El Paso at sunrise/sunset respectively but haven't ID'd them.
 
West Central Georgia:

Days: Nothing

Early Morning: WBOB Jacksonville FL 50000/9700 with conservative news/talk is a regular visitor

Night: WBOB or Radio Rebelde Cuba come in from time to time. Also catch WREC Memphis TN 5000 occasionally.
 
The New Chico said:
600 Vancouver BC was moved to FM 100.5 back in 2008, has been a very quiet frequency in the PNW since. However, Sher-E-Punjab Ltd. now has a CP to build a 50/20 directional "ethnic" station. Ethnic in this case mainly S and SE Asian culture and music. Will be interesting to see how far they get out- they are supposed to complete the build out this summer.
Click to expand...

The old 600 from Vancouver (CKBD?) had a nice signal. 10kw IIRC, and very listenable in and around Seattle. I was a little surprised when owner Jim Pattison pulled the plug on the AM. He's one of the most wealthy men in Canada, and could certainly afford to keep it going.
c
 
East Tennessee: Days-the last breath of WCVP, Murphy NC.
Nights---I'm not sure. I'm hearing conservative talk on my way home from work at night, probably WBOB, Jacksonville. Also a shot at WSJS.

Retro/other: Dayton, Ohio area: Paintsville KY was a sunset regular (as WKLW, then WKYH). Then either WSJS or maybe WMT.

WMT is the furthest daytime regular received on the Central Indiana SDR. It made Lafayette pretty well. I also remember Radio Moscow on 600 and could hear the station during the day from Sarasota. Until 3pm it was one of the regular Cuban networks, but at 3pm the English service of Radio Moscow began for all of U.S. imperialists
 
cyberdad said:
The old 600 from Vancouver (CKBD?) had a nice signal. 10kw IIRC, and very listenable in and around Seattle. I was a little surprised when owner Jim Pattison pulled the plug on the AM. He's one of the most wealthy men in Canada, and could certainly afford to keep it going.
c
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See my note above. He didn't pull the plug- he got an opportunity to move to FM during the great Canadian AM migration and took full advantage. You weren't allowed to take the FM frequency without giving up the AM one. The gov't gave the migrating stations a month or so to simulcast if so desired.
 
Chicago by the lakeshore:

As with the other Chicago area people here, WMT in Cedar Rapids is the strongest signal. It's pretty clear and listenable during the day (though you can tell it's not local), and often comes in at night too. The second most likely for me to hear at night is WSJS in Winston-Salem, NC. I've also heard a Canadian station playing country music which is probably CKAT in North Bay, Ontario.
 
From NW San Antonio:

Day: On my most sensitive radios, away from RFI, I can hear a very weak XEMN in Monterrey.

Sunset: It's a mix of XEMN, KTBB and WREC, with WMT sometimes popping up.

Night: Aiming NE/SW, XEMN and WREC are usually most dominant, with KTBB and WMT occasionally underneath. KSJB can be heard on rare occasions. If I aim NW/SE, there's a fairly steady KROD "ESPN 600" in El Paso. Radio Rebelde sometimes mixes in for brief periods.

Sunrise: Similar to sunset with KTBB dominating when it goes to day power.

DX/Retro: Before it went off the air a couple of years ago, I used to hear XELAZ "La Mejor" in Ciudad Guzmán at sunrise/night.
 
Ellensburg WA

Normally nothing days, sometimes KGEZ Kalispell MT (Oldies) in winter.
Nights normally bring CJWW Saskatoon (Country), KOGO San Diego (Talk), aforementioned KGEZ and sometimes KCOL Wellington CO (News/Talk). KSJB Jamestown ND (Country) is rare, Radio Rebelde in Cuba is even rarer. Need to keep trying this channel before Vancouver comes on and ruins it again.
 
The New Chico said:
See my note above. He didn't pull the plug- he got an opportunity to move to FM during the great Canadian AM migration and took full advantage. You weren't allowed to take the FM frequency without giving up the AM one. The gov't gave the migrating stations a month or so to simulcast if so desired.
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Thanks for the clarification. I'm familiar with some of th CRTC rules, but unaware that migrating to the FM band meant that it was mandatory for you to give up your AM.
 
Nothing around Columbus on 600 day or night, because of slop local WTVN and just because nothing pops up.
When I lived in Houston, I caught WREC several times under KILT slop. This usually happened in the winter. My home was directly in front of KILT's night pattern, and I also heard WREC when I happened to be outside KILT's primary nighttime lobe, including as close as three miles east of their tower.
 
In SE Michigan, it was and is WTAC, now WSNL Flint, but with lower power and a different pattern and location. It used to be the joke than it could be heard North to Sault Ste. Marie, East to Buffalo, South to Toledo, and West to Bishop Airport. In fact, the 0.5 mV/m contour barely reached the West end of the 9/27 runway. The wide arc to the West protected WKZO Days and WMT Nights. In Northern Lower Michigan, WCHT creeps in during the Day, though they also reduced power and pattern. WRQX 600 in Salem, OH comes in a little during Days when WSNL is off. WMT has always interfered slightly, but a lot lately as they have a problem with cell tower reradiating and have been on STA. CKAT also comes in at Night, and I suspect they are on Day power and pattern. A while back, when WSNL was on STA, they were heard far and wide, even in Illinois. The only other time when they were heard to the West was when they did DX tests and measured antenna impedances on Monday mornings.
 
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