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AM Frequency of the Week 1640

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cyberdad

cyberdad

40 Miles Northwest of Downtown Chicago....

Days: 1640 at my home location is WSJP ((ex WKSH) Relevant radio based in Sussex, WI. Western suburb of Milwaukee. Signal here is weak from about 70 miles north-northeast of me.

Nights: WSJP stays in. Also with a weak signal. Usually alone and presumably via skywave. any signals underneath have been too weak for to ID
 
From the southwest suburbs of Chicago:

WSJP Sussex, Wis. hasn't been spotted during the day, and based on Cyberdad's report, it would be only a hint of a signal. But it's there at night regularly. The other visitor on 1640 is WTNI Biloxi, Miss., which when I heard it was a barker channel of sorts for the local casinos.

As I listen tonight, it's all WSJP. Never had a hint of KZLS Enid, Okla., here, presumably because it's directional NNW-SSE. With only five stations on 1640, you wouldn't think a pattern would be necessary, but there it is.
 
Northern England: nothing generally as the frequencies are out of use in Europe, but these X-band frequencies are interesting for DX as they can behave almost like short-wave after dark.

I've heard (presumably) WTNI a few times on late winter nights back when it was running a Sports format, with the usual sports parking lot chat. I never heard the tourist information or the current Bob format on the station as I don't have as much time to DX as I used to. Other than that, frequencies around this (1620-1650ish) get used on-and-off by various pirates, mostly Dutch.
 
Here, nothing
Retro: When I lived in Houston late 90's could get the American Airlines DFW departure schedule sometimes. (Gate 3F to St. Louis at 8am)
The irony is when I later moved to north Texas I never got it again. Not sure if that TIS is even a thing anymore or has been since the 90s.
 
Here in Wood Dale, IL in the near NW suburb of Chicago:

Daytime: WSJP with weak signal
Nighttime: mostly WSJP, but WTNI sometimes makes it through.

DX/RETRO: KDIA used to be an easy catch before WSJP (then WAZI/WKSH) signed on. KZLS (Enid, OK) used to be logged frequently, but it's been a while since I heard them. Back in late 1990's there were two Dallas Ft. Worth Airport TIS stations (WPLR660) on 1640 kHz and 1680 kHz that really got out well. Both were easily received in the Chicago area. Not sure if they are still in operation, but they are certainly no longer heard around here. Also back in 1997 there used to be a pirate going by the name Radio Zero that I heard on couple occasions. Still trying to log Oregon (KDZR) and Utah (KBJA) on this frequency.
 
DFW, Texas

KZLS Enid, OK is the regular with a strong signal. I used to receive WTNI Biloxi, MS easily but I have not heard them lately.
 
tvnut said:
As I listen tonight, it's all WSJP. Never had a hint of KZLS Enid, Okla., here, presumably because it's directional NNW-SSE. With only five stations on 1640, you wouldn't think a pattern would be necessary, but there it is.
Click to expand...
I believe they are directional toward their targeted OKC market.

Here in west Houston, KZLS is usually strong. In midwinter they are often audible much of the day. Historically WTNI has been ~as strong with the radio aimed E-W, but haven’t heard them recently.
 
East Tennessee: Days--blank
Sunrise/sunset/night: WTMI "Bob 106.3" Biloxi MS. I've not heard Wisconsin here.

Retro/other: Dayton, OH area: Sometimes whatever predecessors of WSJP would hang in all day during the winter.
 
Bellingham WA
KDZR Lake Oswego/Portland OR. Days can get some decent skywave action at times, especially late fall/winter. Nights KDZR has been historically pretty clear. Occasionally have heard something underneath but cannot tell if it is Vallejo CA or Sandy UT.
 
Scott from NM said:
Here, nothing
Retro: When I lived in Houston late 90's could get the American Airlines DFW departure schedule sometimes. (Gate 3F to St. Louis at 8am)
The irony is when I later moved to north Texas I never got it again. Not sure if that TIS is even a thing anymore or has been since the 90s.
Click to expand...
Can you please put your location?
 
I think it's probably a good idea, At least while you're new to the board; Afte 15 years here most of the guys know my home 20. But there are always new visitors stopping by here, so I frequently include it. I'm also a
a rather frequent traveler, so I also include my away locations when I post from the road.
 
South Mississippi:

Day: WTNI Biloxi, MS - Bob 106.3 has been silent for several months. The translator continues to operate as it is fed by WANG 1490.
Night: mostly WTNI,
now that WTNI is silent, KZLS Enid, OK - ZTB Sports is usually in each night.
occasionally, WSJP Sussex, WI - Relevant Radio
 
Holy Smoke -- for any doubters about AM radio's survival : When so many of the *DXers* here shrug that they haven't tuned into the X-Band in quite a while, there's some reconsidration due about that spectrum's appeal.
That first 1640 log -- the one that reads like a license plate -- doesn't have a date listed. Nor does its widely-heard DFW sister on 1680. Perhaps someone on board here can affix an approximate year for me?

1640​
WQO767 ​
TX ​
​
​
​
KDIA ​
CA ​
2-10-98 ​
​
​
WTNI ​
MS ​
2-27-16​
​

(For the GSPers here curious as to the location, there have been two since I moved to PA in 1992. Both places are exactly cattycorner in the same town of .8 square mile, some 6 miles north of Pottsville, at the intersection of I-81.)
 
Steve Green NEPA said:
That first 1640 log -- the one that reads like a license plate -- doesn't have a date listed. Nor does its widely-heard DFW sister on 1680. Perhaps someone on board here can affix an approximate year for me?

1640​
WQO767 ​
TX ​
​
​
​
KDIA ​
CA ​
2-10-98 ​
​
​
WTNI ​
MS ​
2-27-16​
​

(For the GSPers here curious as to the location, there have been two since I moved to PA in 1992. Both places are exactly cattycorner in the same town of .8 square mile, some 6 miles north of Pottsville, at the intersection of I-81.)
Click to expand...
I have them in my logbook as 2-22-97 with 60 Watts of power. The one on 1680 heard on 10-22-97.
 
Chicago by the lakeshore:

Daytime: Weakish but listenable WSJP in Sussex, WI
Nighttime: Not much there, but can hear WSJP sometimes. Have picked up WTNI a few times but it's rare. It's actually my only Mississippi catch. No other logs on 1640.
 
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