DFW MW DX - Exploring the band

[TXPH97]

Greetings, I was an avid DX’er (MW and SWL) and IRCA member from ’68 to ’73 in Tampa, FL. Decided to dip my toes in the water again after these many years.

Location: Flower Mound (DFW), Texas
Receiver: Sangean ATS-909X, no external antenna.

Clears and power houses that normally boom in (not including locals): WSM, WMVP, WLW, WGN, WSB, WJR, WBBM, WHAS, KOA, WWL, KRVN, WLS, WHO, WTAM, KFAB, KMOX, KWKH, KFAQ, WOAI.

Exploring the band 11/7 – 11/9:

550 KFRM KS, Salina 2135 11/8 Farm Radio 550 ID with local weather. Strongest on the channel.
550 KTSA TX, San Antonio 2135 11/8 Lars Lawson talk, local ads, weak.
550 KCRS TX, Midland 2135 11/8 Fox News, weak under others.
560 KWTO MO, Springfield 2248 11/8 Jim Bohannan talk, very strong over KLIF co-channel interference.
560 KLZ CO, Denver 2258 11/8 Dana show talk with ID. Fair with KWTO nulled.
580 WIBW KS, Topeka 2200 11/8 CBS news with top of hour ID. Very strong.
590 KCJS CO, Pueblo 2310 11/8 Talk program matched to stream, fair.
590 KXSP NE, Omaha 2315 11/8 Review of Monday Night Football. Mixing with KCJS.
590 KLBJ TX, Austin 0700 11/9 Morning news with local ads, weak for distance.
600 WMT IA, Cedar Rapids 2210 11/8 News Radio 600 ID, fair.
600 KTBB TX, Tyler 0639 11/9 KTBB Newstime ID, fair signal, would expect stronger.
610 KCSP MO, Kansas City 0040 11/8 KC Chiefs Radio, local ads, dominate on the channel.
610 KILT TX, Houston 0040 11/8 CBS Sports with local Houston ads. Weak under KCSP.
630 KSLR TX, San Antonio 0035 11/8 Christian programming, weak under KHOW.
630 KHOW CO, Denver 0035 11/8 Red-eye Radio, dominating the channel.
640 KWPN OK, Moore 2215 11/8 ESPN 640 with local Oklahoma ads. Fair.
640 KFI CA, Los Angeles 0630 11/9 Weather and traffic, very weak with KWPN nulled. Mixing with unID Spanish music and unID preacher talk.
680 KFEQ MO, St. Joseph 2235 11/8 Strong over others with Jim Bohannan show.
680 KKYX TX, San Antonio 2240 11/8 weak under KFEQ with county matched to stream.
690 KGGF KS, Coffeyville 2245 11/8 Todd Starns talk, matched to stream, fair.
690 XEN MEX, DF 2255 11/8 Radio Centro ID, music matched to stream. Good signal.
690 WQNO LA, New Orleans 2300 11/8 Religion with local ads, weak.
710 KGNC TX, Amarillo 0030 11/8 local weather, strong with KCMO nulled.
710 KCMO MO, Kansas City 0030 11/8 strong with KGNC nulled.
710 KEEL LA, Shreveport 0653 11/9 Sports news and local ads, fair.
740 KTRH TX, Houston 0651 11/9 strong with news and traffic.
750 KSEO OK, Durant 0711 11/9 Strong signal with oldies songs.
790 KBME TX, Houston 2338 11/8 Fox Sports with Jason Smith, local ads, fair.
800 CKLW ONT, Windsor 0029 11/8 Very strong with news and local Windsor ads.
810 WHB MO, Kansas City 0025 11/8 Sports, strong over WBAP co-channel interference.
830 KGLA LA, Norco 2350 11/8 Tropical ID, Spanish music, strong looking for WCCO.
860 KKOW KS, Pittsburg 0020 11/8 Legal ID, weather and classic county. Almost like a local.
920 KARN AR, Little Rock 0015 11/8 The Sports Animal, Arkansas’ Sports Leader. Good signal.
920 KYFR IA, Shenandoah 2355 11/8 Family Radio ID, religious music, beating KARN.
940 XEQ MEX, DF 0018 11/9 Ke Buena ID, Spanish music, strong signal.
940 KTFS TX, Texarkana 11/9 0020 very weak under XEQ with KTOY 105.9 ID and Texarkana mention.
960 KMA IA, Shenandoah 11/9 0030 legal ID, on top of the scrum.
980 KMBZ MO, Kansas City 11/9 0034 Talk 980 ID, fair.
1010 WJXL FL, Jacksonville 11/9 0044 Home of the Florida Gators, local Jacksonville ads. Good on top.
1010 KBBW TX, Waco 11/9 0720 Religion programming, good signal.
1020 KCKN NM, Roswell 11/9 0053 Christian music matched to stream. Very strong, no sign of KDKA.
1020 KOKP OK, Perry 11/9 0057 Sports talk under KCKN.
1150 WJBO LA, Baton Rouge 0005 11/8 NewsRadio 1150. Fair above the crowd.
1180 WJNT MS, Jackson 0000 11/8 Top of hour ID Pearl/Jackson News 1180
1210 KGYN OK, Guymon 2356 11/7 The 5 State Talker ID, strong.
1260 KBRH LA, Baton Rouge 2245 11/7 Really great blues with legal ID. Strong and alone on the channel, day power perhaps?
1280 WODT LA, New Orleans 2255 11/7 New Orleans Black Information Network news.
1330 KNSS KS, Wichita 2300 11/7 Top of the hour ID with Fox news.
1410 KGSO KS, Wichita 0100 11/9 Sports with ID 1410 and 93.9, on top of channel.
1500 KSTP MN, St. Paul 2308 11/7 Sports news, strong signal.
1500 KJIM TX, Sherman 0740 11/9 Americas Memory Maker, good signal with oldies.
1510 WLAC TN, Nashville 2313 11/7 News about Covid in India. Strong and clear.
1520 KOKC OK, Oklahoma City 2317 11/7 Conservative talk. Fair.
1530 WCKY OH, Cincinnati 2320 11/7 ESPN Radio, strong.
1590 KMIC TX, Houston 2330 11/7 Radio Aleluya ID.
1640 WTNI MS, Biloxi 2335 11/7 Steely Dan song, matched to stream.
1650 KCNZ IA, Cedar Falls 2338 11/7 1650 The Fan, CBS Sports radio.
1660 KRZI TX, Waco 0730 11/9 ESPN Central Texas ID, strong.
1690 KDMT CO, Arvada 2347 11/7 Relevant Radio, Catholic talk.

 

[radioman148]

Welcome aboard--glad to have you!

 

[schmave]

Nice work! Some excellent catches in there and, to me, a few surprising ones. Did not expect see CKLW, which I never hear just 175 miles from Windsor. Houston stations are solid catches in DFW too given their patterns.
I tried to get WMVP when I lived in Houston and never did. Figured it was a result of their pattern.

 

[gr8oldies]

Nice work! Some excellent catches in there and, to me, a few surprising ones. Did not expect see CKLW, which I never hear just 175 miles from Windsor. Houston stations are solid catches in DFW too given their patterns.
I tried to get WMVP when I lived in Houston and never did. Figured it was a result of their pattern.

CKLW has apparently been on day pattern at night a lot. They should not make DFW with the Mexican clear.

 

[tvnut]

Do you mean WSCR 670 instead of WMVP? Otherwise the calls are all in frequency order.

 

[cyberdad]

Do you mean WSCR 670 instead of WMVP? Otherwise the calls are all in frequency order.

I was thinking the same thing. As the regulars here know, I traveled in my work for many years, and WMAQ/WSCR was pretty easy with a good signal whenever I was in the metroplex.

What got my attention was WJNT. Jackson, Mississippi used to be a fairly regular stop for me, and WJNT had a nice signal with 50kw during the day, but at the hotel where I usually stayed just north of town it was prone to being overtaken by either WHAM and/or Cuba at night. Except once or twice around sunset, I've never heard them on night power here at my location in the Chicago area.

Anywaty @TXPH97, glad you're here. That was an impressive list, and I'll look forward to seeing more of what you and the ATS-909X can snag and share with us. Welcome!

 

[schmave]

CKLW has apparently been on day pattern at night a lot. They should not make DFW with the Mexican clear.

Interesting. Even with their day pattern at night, I wouldn't have much chance of hearing them down here but I'll try to remember to check tonight.

 

[davideduardo]

CKLW has apparently been on day pattern at night a lot. They should not make DFW with the Mexican clear.

Probably someone told them that XEROK was running a fraction of its licensed power and is obviously not concerned with its skywave coverage any longer.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Over the last several years, there's been alot of wondering about quite a few Canadian AM's if theyre operating in spec. I cant prove anything on much of any of it .. but those even smarter then me have wondered the same thing about a few of them.

 

[gr8oldies]

Probably someone told them that XEROK was running a fraction of its licensed power and is obviously not concerned with its skywave coverage any longer.

Where I lived in Western Ohio, with a booming daytime signal from CKLW in the top 40 days and not much of a night signal, we liked it when The Big 8 "forgot" to flip to night pattern.

 

[TXPH97]

@tvnut and @cyberdad you are correct, I meant WSCR (670). I mixed up the sports call letters, although I still associate WMAQ with 670 Chicago.

I picked up a few more stations last night, most interesting would be KGNO 1370 Dodge City KS, clear and steady on top, seemed too strong for 230 watts. Also heard the blues station again with good signal on 1260, which I previously ID'ed as KBRH Baton Rouge, again seemed too strong for its 127 watt night power.

On my original post, I was surprised by WJXL 1010 Jacksonville, FL. Their pattern on Radio Locator is mainly to the east.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

@tvnut and @cyberdad you are correct, I meant WSCR (670). I mixed up the sports call letters, although I still associate WMAQ with 670 Chicago.

I picked up a few more stations last night, most interesting would be KGNO 1370 Dodge City KS, clear and steady on top, seemed too strong for 230 watts. Also heard the blues station again with good signal on 1260, which I previously ID'ed as KBRH Baton Rouge, again seemed too strong for its 127 watt night power.

On my original post, I was surprised by WJXL 1010 Jacksonville, FL. Their pattern on Radio Locator is mainly to the east.

What time did you hear KGNO? I do overnights there 11pm to 5am 7 days a week

I lived in wyoming and only heard KGNO once..... i have to assume they behave, if they werent, theyd be mroe widely reported

 

[TXPH97]

@SomeRadioGuy I heard KGNO 11/11 12:15am. News followed by ID Classic Country for Southwest Kansas. Also matched to stream.

 

[wildthangjim]

I've heard CKLW down here in Houston many times in the past couple of years. TWR Bonaire is usually on top of XEROK.

I've wondered about KBRH. They are a regular here, but have seemed stronger recently.

Interesting 1010 receptions. My local 1010 KLAT is all I've heard on the frequency. Apparently their south-directional pattern is working well.

 

[schmave]

Geesh ... I'll definitely have to try for CKLW tonight then. It's been many years since XEROK essentially gave up on its big signal, but I've never heard much of a difference in CKLW here in central Ohio in the intervening years. They tuck in their pattern in my direction because of a station in Huntington, West Virginia.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

@SomeRadioGuy I heard KGNO 11/11 12:15am. News followed by ID Classic Country for Southwest Kansas. Also matched to stream.

Well, that would be when im on. got a recording?

 

[ZantennaG1]

Probably someone told them that XEROK was running a fraction of its licensed power and is obviously not concerned with its skywave coverage any longer.

It is sad that despite all the protections we give the Mexican stations, it's like they don't even try to provide that service anymore. I hear that Mexico, just like Canada, is transferring a lot of their AM's to FM's (which makes sense because that's what time we live in), but running at just a shadow of your allotted power is like throwing in the towel broadcast wise, IMO.

 

[schmave]

That. And once the stations that were being protected leave the air, give up their license, what have you, any protection of that station should be null and void.
I remember when I first posted here in 2004 that XEROK was running as little as 500 watts even then because of the electrical grid in the area. That was 17 years ago. They might as well just amend their license to be a 500-watt station if they never intend to go back to 50 or 150K.

 

[ZantennaG1]

any protection of that station should be null and void.

Absolutely this. Use it or give it to someone who will.

I remember when I first posted here in 2004 that XEROK was running as little as 500 watts even then because of the electrical grid in the area. That was 17 years ago. They might as well just amend their license to be a 500-watt station if they never intend to go back to 50 or 150K.

Wow, what was going on with their power grid?

 

[davideduardo]

That. And once the stations that were being protected leave the air, give up their license, what have you, any protection of that station should be null and void.

800 is a Mexican clear channel. Used, or not, they have to receive protection everywhere along the Mexican border

I remember when I first posted here in 2004 that XEROK was running as little as 500 watts even then because of the electrical grid in the area. That was 17 years ago. They might as well just amend their license to be a 500-watt station if they never intend to go back to 50 or 150K.

They can do that domestically, but US and Canadian stations still have to protect all of Mexico.