It's less than 1.2 megaHertz, not kHz.
i don't think that there are any people interested in building crystal radios today because young people would find nothing of interest to listen to in most parts of the world.
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
Status of WFME 1560?
- Thread starter MarcB
- Start date
i don't think that there are any people interested in building crystal radios today because young people would find nothing of interest to listen to in most parts of the world.
He's probably right anyway, though. What use is the band to anyone else except Amateur radio?
Curious, has the spectrum been repurposed in other countries where AM broadcast radio has been turned off?
If you try to catch WFME, it is mostly soft religious music. There are a few preaching shows but only a few. I'm amazed that with only 1,000 watts on a wire instead of a real tower, folks are picking it up hundreds of miles away! I live in the NYC area and I only pick it up sometimes. I've got a good car radio but it is often hard to receive.
I remember as a teenager, my family and I were on a vacation in Vermont. As I scanned the AM dial one night, there was 1560 WQXR playing Classical Music. That's odd, I thought. I knew several NYC AM stations had high power: 660, 710, 770, 880 and 1130. I never knew WQXR 1560 was also on the list of Class I-B stations, like WOR and WNEW. But I guess a full time classical station was considered worthy of Clear Channel status by the folks at the FCC.
I remember as a teenager, my family and I were on a vacation in Vermont. As I scanned the AM dial one night, there was 1560 WQXR playing Classical Music. That's odd, I thought. I knew several NYC AM stations had high power: 660, 710, 770, 880 and 1130. I never knew WQXR 1560 was also on the list of Class I-B stations, like WOR and WNEW. But I guess a full time classical station was considered worthy of Clear Channel status by the folks at the FCC.
The station has a fascinating history (which makes its demise that much sadder).
When 1560 was WQEW AKA Radio Disney more than 10 years ago, I used to hear them loud and clear at night in South Carolina, almost as good as WCBS and WABC, but now there's a different 1560 that recently came on the air, and its a Clemson Sports station overlap WAHT with 15,000 Watts during the day but somehow even though they're not authorized to broadcast at night I'm picking them up at night with now no trace of the New York station.
The 1560 WAHT station has an FM translator at 97.5 (W248DD) for Spartanburg SC (causing major interference to WCOS from Columbia SC)
and their main station is 105.5 WCCP in Clemson SC, both of these do simulcast.
Many years ago a different 1560 around here went off the air, WAGL in Lancaster SC which made the way for the new WAHT Clemson station for the Spartanburg area, and just like the call letters say misspelled, all I can say is WHAT!!! (For WAHT)
The 1560 WAHT station has an FM translator at 97.5 (W248DD) for Spartanburg SC (causing major interference to WCOS from Columbia SC)
and their main station is 105.5 WCCP in Clemson SC, both of these do simulcast.
Many years ago a different 1560 around here went off the air, WAGL in Lancaster SC which made the way for the new WAHT Clemson station for the Spartanburg area, and just like the call letters say misspelled, all I can say is WHAT!!! (For WAHT)
Last edited:
WAHT isnt new.. its been around for 30 years, it just got a serious upgrade after WAGL went off the air.
And the translator causing interference to WCOS doesnt really matter so far outside any rmeotely protected contour for WCOS
WAHT is new to the Spartanburg area, it was moved as a very low power station from Clemson at 1000 watts to Spartanburg at 15,000 watts after the allocation was freed up when WAGL was officially deleted, and their much higher power as well 15,000 watts was added when it used to be only a 1000 watt signal 50 miles away.
In the Netherlands, the AM band has been turned over to hobbyists. Like Part 15 here in the US for AM, but are allowed up to 100 watts. So pretty much anyone can now be a broadcaster in the Netherlands.
Under the current STA, WFME can increase power up to 10 kW as long as no complaints of interference are received.
Back when it was WQXR-AM (which was the only classical music signal available in some of the rural areas of the East Coast) and later, WQEW (a very well programmed Adult Standards format).
What are the odds that will ever happen here?
I remember my father listening to WQXR on the car radio in suburban Boston in the late '60s. It actually came in better after sunset than the "local" classical station, WCRB, at 1330. Of course, at home, he would listen to WCRB-FM, but his car at that time, like most, only had an AM radio.
never
It would be like the CB Radio of OTA broadcasting.
100 watts...
I can just imagine what kind of people it would attract.
I've heard pirates on the University of Twente receiver in the Netherlands above 1600, especially on weekend late nights, but not so far the rest of the band.It would be like the CB Radio of OTA broadcasting.
100 watts...
I can just imagine on the what kind of people it would attract.
MW Free Radio
A British-based blog about the Dutch pirate radio scene on the MW band with news and logs together with recordings, videos and photos.
mwfreeradio.blogspot.com
This will give you an excellent overview of what exactly is being heard on the "Free MW" as the Dutch call it.
According to the FCC AM Query database, WFME 1560 has extended their special temporary authorization to May 22, 2023. This is, using their slant wire antenna at Orange NJ at 10 kilowatts nondirectional which I guess is roughly equal to 7 KW from a "good" tower and ground system.
Tonight (Sunday) they are playing Christmas music.
Tonight (Sunday) they are playing Christmas music.
Thanks for the update. I found the FCC link. It looks like I was on the right track when I thought it likely they were at 10kW when I listen to them at night the last several weeks. I would say that they're coming in up here in central Ontario Canada at around 50% of their former nighttime listen-ability vs. when they were at full 50kW which, all in all, is pretty amazing. Especially enjoying the Christmas music.
- Status