Furthest reception of lower-powered San Diego stations

[Signal Geek]

I'm looking for examples of *regular* reception of the lower-powered AM and FM stations (no tropo ducting or unusual skip, no 50kw AM's).

I'll start with two of my favorites. AM: During daylight hours I've picked up 5kw KOGO many times in Pismo Beach, some 300 miles away. FM: I've often received KYXY (standard Class B signal) on the main road into Big Bear Lake, about 150 miles away.

Anyone got other examples?

 

[asugeorge1]

I'm looking for examples of *regular* reception of the lower-powered AM and FM stations (no tropo ducting or unusual skip, no 50kw AM's).

I'll start with two of my favorites. AM: During daylight hours I've picked up 5kw KOGO many times in Pismo Beach, some 300 miles away. FM: I've often received KYXY (standard Class B signal) on the main road into Big Bear Lake, about 150 miles away.

Anyone got other examples?

From my stock Toyota SUV radio, KYXY 96.5 FM is probably the strongest of the San Diego FM radio stations. The furthest I have picked them up on my frequent trips between SD and Phoenix is on Interstate 8 going over Telegraph Pass in Yuma, AZ and also on Interstate 10 west of Blythe, CA in Mesa Verde, CA (when KBUX-FM from Quartzsite, AZ is blocked). Both are about 200 miles away from the transmitter!

On the flip side, I have picked up Arizona Sports 98.7 KMVP-FM on Interstate 8 in the mountains east of San Diego near Live Oak Springs. Perfect set of conditions allows you to block ALT 98.7 KYSR-FM from LA, a high altitude of about 4,000 feet and a clear frequency with nothing on 98.7 besides the LA and Phoenix station makes it possible. That’s about 275 miles away!

 

[CaliRadioFan]

KMYI 94.1 comes in clear in pockets of Moreno Valley. My headset antenna can pick up 100.7 on my phone FM tuner anywhere in Fantasyland in Disneyland (at least it could before they closed)

 

[Signal Geek]

I usually pick up KYXY and some other Mt. Soledad stations on the I-5 Grapevine, about 150 miles north of San Diego.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Ive heard KOGO in Laramie, WY in the morning before sunrise before a few times.

I heard half a dozen or more san diego FM's a few nights ago during an eskip event

 

[Hoxie]

From my exile in the Bay Area, I've never been able to pick up any San Diego radio whatsoever on my car radio.

I can't even get KFI unless I'm on the 5 in the middle of nowhere at least 150 miles south of here.

 

[Michael Rivers Kramer]

From my exile in the Bay Area, I've never been able to pick up any San Diego radio whatsoever on my car radio.

I can't even get KFI unless I'm on the 5 in the middle of nowhere at least 150 miles south of here.

I've picked up KOGO during the day on I-5 in the Central Valley. I've also heard KFI faintly in the early afternoon on I-80 around Fairfield in the early afternoon with a little interference from KSTE-Sacramento.

 

[powers]

Hoxie, if you are in the Bay Area you've probably had too strong a signal from 610 and 740 to pick up the San Diego big stations. When I grew up in Monterey in the 70s and 80s I had almost no problem picking up KOGO and KFMB and a lot of us listened to KFI and The Mighty 690 at night when they came in strong (pop music on both at the time). Here in San Diego, in the Winter, I've been able to regularly pick up a listenable signal by day from KFBK in Sacramento, some 530 miles to the North!

 

[boombox4]

KFMB 760 is fairly regular night time in Seattle, at least half of the time with readable signals. S1 - S2 maybe in strength. Often with splash from a local and another station in Portland. But it does apparently get out. Of course, this is with a decent radio (Panasonic RF-B45, PR-D5, Superadio, etc.).

 

[radiocph]

While attending UC Santa Barbara (1983-1987), there were a number of San Diego/Tijuana FM's I could reliably receive. XHRM 92.5, XETRA-91.1, XELTN-104.5 and another TJ station on 107.9 were my favorites. There was also a Family Radio translator in El Cajon that was popular with members of my church there.

After graduation, I lived in West Los Angeles from 1987 to 1993. I could occasionally hear San Diegan stations on 98.1, as well as as the other frequencies I mentioned above.

There are several "sweet spots" in LA where the San Diego stations came in nicely; one was the Sepulveda Pass on I-405. I also heard them while riding along the coast on Palos Verdes Drive...

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Hoxie, if you are in the Bay Area you've probably had too strong a signal from 610 and 740 to pick up the San Diego big stations. When I grew up in Monterey in the 70s and 80s I had almost no problem picking up KOGO and KFMB and a lot of us listened to KFI and The Mighty 690 at night when they came in strong (pop music on both at the time). Here in San Diego, in the Winter, I've been able to regularly pick up a listenable signal by day from KFBK in Sacramento, some 530 miles to the North!

KFBK POUNDS in to central Alaska at night.. some nights, so well i can tell they have ppm and voltair (watermarking equipment to get the most out of ppm) installed and cranked high, i can hear the metallic echoing

 

[davideduardo]

KFBK POUNDS in to central Alaska at night.. some nights, so well i can tell they have ppm and voltair (watermarking equipment to get the most out of ppm) installed and cranked high, i can hear the metallic echoing

Any station in a PPM market has to have the basic Nielsen PPM encoder. The Voltair "enhances" the audio in the very narrow bands that Nielsen's gear employs to encode so that there are more chances per minute to encode the signal. The Voltair itself does not encode... it just pumps up any available audio (including background noise if it is turned up to high) on the encoding frequencies to make sure that as many encodings per minute are done.

With "perfect" audio, the PPM gear can encode about 12 times a minute.

 

[Joey1986]

While attending UC Santa Barbara (1983-1987), there were a number of San Diego/Tijuana FM's I could reliably receive. XHRM 92.5, XETRA-91.1, XELTN-104.5 and another TJ station on 107.9 were my favorites. There was also a Family Radio translator in El Cajon that was popular with members of my church there.

After graduation, I lived in West Los Angeles from 1987 to 1993. I could occasionally hear San Diegan stations on 98.1, as well as as the other frequencies I mentioned above.

There are several "sweet spots" in LA where the San Diego stations came in nicely; one was the Sepulveda Pass on I-405. I also heard them while riding along the coast on Palos Verdes Drive...

104.5 FM is actually XHLTN.

 

[Greg Strickland]

It is generally known LA and San Diego FM stations are listenable at locations on roads in Arizona; and probably also Nevada. It's no mystery why- line of sight (or close to it) from receiver to transmitter site, and terrain that reduces incoming signal from interfering stations makes it possible. Also, co and adjacent channel stations may be at distances greater than FCC minimum spacing, although over time the band is more congested. These locations can be calculated with software for both conditions.

These days in many areas of the country, "fan-listenable" car radio coverage is defined by incoming interference, not propagation. This does not mean FCC made an error, FCC thought things out very well, and made revisions as times change.

Allocation rules are a rational compromise between usable signal level for normal listeners (not radio people) and allowing an adequate number of stations to be permitted. Some stations are "grandfathered" at power, height and spacing locations not permitted under the rules. Some short spacing in the northeast is of biblical proportions.

With regard to the allocations compromise, consider protection of an AM clear channel Class A station means a co-channel station half-way or all the way across the country typically radiates approximately 250 watts in the direction of the Class A at night. Indeed, in olden days of less electrical interference and fewer stations, ordinary folks in the hinterlands could tune in distant AM stations at night for a taste of big city entertainment magic.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Any station in a PPM market has to have the basic Nielsen PPM encoder. The Voltair "enhances" the audio in the very narrow bands that Nielsen's gear employs to encode so that there are more chances per minute to encode the signal. The Voltair itself does not encode... it just pumps up any available audio (including background noise if it is turned up to high) on the encoding frequencies to make sure that as many encodings per minute are done.

With "perfect" audio, the PPM gear can encode about 12 times a minute.

I was once told by the Voltair people that if a station sounds bad using it, then theyre using it wrong and have it set up improperly.

Then every station ive ever heard using it must have it set up wrong and are using it improperly

 

[davideduardo]

I was once told by the Voltair people that if a station sounds bad using it, then theyre using it wrong and have it set up improperly.

Then every station ive ever heard using it must have it set up wrong and are using it improperly

They are all using the Voltair the way the band used the guitar amp in "Spinal Tap".

 

[Signal Geek]

Anyone know if Tijuana's AM 950 is running more than 50kw? Their signal in San Diego is even stronger than T.J's 690 (77kw) or 1090 (50kw).

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Anyone know if Tijuana's AM 950 is running more than 50kw? Their signal in San Diego is even stronger than T.J's 690 (77kw) or 1090 (50kw).

XEKAM is listed as 20kw day/5kw night.. now wether they run 5kw at night.. many mexican am's dont seem to switch power or pattern..

XEPRS, XEKAM, XEWW and KFMB from SD/TJ have all made it up here to rural central Alaska.

I've heard XEWW 690 here in Alaska a few times, not that well and not for long. Here's XEWW 690 audio:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Gt6-uDDXUnBO8z4kyrmmZw53AwrSB_JG/view?usp=sharing

XEPRS 1090 can be VERY strong for short periods of time on and off all night and is my most commonly heard SD/TJ station. (Whgat you hear under XEPRS is KFNQ SEattle)
Audio: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xGs1qRYp8PlmVGwaMbjBhcUg661zxpvk/view?usp=sharing

XEKAM audio: listen at 25 seconds where they even give a station ID with power level. XEKAM is not uncommon, but not super common and not as strong as XEPRS

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kASjlys9SnBDCA4TGiBH26nx9fBXxk_8/view?usp=sharing

 

[michael hagerty]

I'll start with two of my favorites. AM: During daylight hours I've picked up 5kw KOGO many times in Pismo Beach, some 300 miles away.

The curvature of the coast puts a lot of the KOGO signal over water. Pismo's a bit surprising, but I could frequently dial in AM and FM signals from San Diego in Santa Barbara.

 

[michael hagerty]

From my exile in the Bay Area, I've never been able to pick up any San Diego radio whatsoever on my car radio.

I can't even get KFI unless I'm on the 5 in the middle of nowhere at least 150 miles south of here.

KGB (the former KFMB) at 760 should be an easy catch at night. They're like a local here in Sacramento and I used to listen to them at night in Ukiah.