Carmichael, CA
Daytime: KPLY (Very Weak) Reno, NV
Nighttime: Nothing
Vallejo, CA
Daytime: Nothing
Nighttime: Nothing
Daytime: KPLY (Very Weak) Reno, NV
Nighttime: Nothing
Vallejo, CA
Daytime: Nothing
Nighttime: Nothing
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AM Frequency of the Week: 630
- Thread starter MarioMania
- Start date
D
Deleted member 108832
Guest
Tyler, TX
Daytime is a very weak KVMA Magnolia AR, a sports outlet from the state line between Arkansas and Louisiana. It is "Fox Sports 107.1 and 630 AM". KTNO doesn't give it any grief, but it's just too far east of me to ever get a good reception of it.
Nights are a bit of a hodgepodge. St. Louis is the usual suspect with it's religious offering, but 630 is not the greatest DXable dial position here in the Pine Curtain.
Daytime is a very weak KVMA Magnolia AR, a sports outlet from the state line between Arkansas and Louisiana. It is "Fox Sports 107.1 and 630 AM". KTNO doesn't give it any grief, but it's just too far east of me to ever get a good reception of it.
Nights are a bit of a hodgepodge. St. Louis is the usual suspect with it's religious offering, but 630 is not the greatest DXable dial position here in the Pine Curtain.
Good morning, Mario and Rose City 😁
Here in the NE PA daytime it's WEJL (is that their call letters now?) from Scranton on 630 with their sports. If I drive 6 miles down The Grade to St. Clair to work on some house, 400-some feet lower HASL, it's WMAL from DC with WEJL in the background. That's off the trusty, dusty GE SR 2.
Nothing added at night here.
* * * * * *
Back in Queens NYC -- 'Boy, the way Glenn MILLER played....' -- 630 was sorta conventionally grumpy and inert, the way some regional frequencies insist on being. In the day the great rock-and-roller WPRO Providence would float down Long Island Sound. Little 500-watt omni WEJL could be heard underneath. Adjacent 620 WVNJ was never a problem; their Beautiful Music behaved itself when a DXer was detected.
Nighttimes were nothing unique .... Providence, Savannah, CFCO Canada with some Quebec and PEI at times, the fabulous KXOK St. Louis overnights for quite a nice spell and a QSL .....
I mention the lethargy of 630, though, to relate one unlikely, joyous and nostalgic instance of altruism (my second such with him) vis a vis famed AM DXer, great guy and National Radio Club editor Ernie Cooper of Brooklyn :
One overnight, Spanish music and one of the finest, happiest jingle packages I ever heard was serenading away nice and loud on 630. I'd thought the logo was singing 'Buenas cadena!' as the sting. Later I learned they were singing 'La grand cadena'. A few years back, David Gleason informed me of the name of the package and the name of the fellow who ran the jingle company! Wow, it would've been swell for our little LPFM at the time to have a few of those jingles Anglicized for effective lilt with our format!
Anyway, I discerned the 630 station to be WQBS from San Juan PR. Knowing Cooper would be awake -- Monday Mornings had become HIS prime DX period -- I called him and told him about WQBS being nice and loud on 630 .....
I heard just the clonk of his phone hitting the wall and frantic footsteps. I hung up. My work was finished here.
Here in the NE PA daytime it's WEJL (is that their call letters now?) from Scranton on 630 with their sports. If I drive 6 miles down The Grade to St. Clair to work on some house, 400-some feet lower HASL, it's WMAL from DC with WEJL in the background. That's off the trusty, dusty GE SR 2.
Nothing added at night here.
* * * * * *
Back in Queens NYC -- 'Boy, the way Glenn MILLER played....' -- 630 was sorta conventionally grumpy and inert, the way some regional frequencies insist on being. In the day the great rock-and-roller WPRO Providence would float down Long Island Sound. Little 500-watt omni WEJL could be heard underneath. Adjacent 620 WVNJ was never a problem; their Beautiful Music behaved itself when a DXer was detected.
Nighttimes were nothing unique .... Providence, Savannah, CFCO Canada with some Quebec and PEI at times, the fabulous KXOK St. Louis overnights for quite a nice spell and a QSL .....
I mention the lethargy of 630, though, to relate one unlikely, joyous and nostalgic instance of altruism (my second such with him) vis a vis famed AM DXer, great guy and National Radio Club editor Ernie Cooper of Brooklyn :
One overnight, Spanish music and one of the finest, happiest jingle packages I ever heard was serenading away nice and loud on 630. I'd thought the logo was singing 'Buenas cadena!' as the sting. Later I learned they were singing 'La grand cadena'. A few years back, David Gleason informed me of the name of the package and the name of the fellow who ran the jingle company! Wow, it would've been swell for our little LPFM at the time to have a few of those jingles Anglicized for effective lilt with our format!
Anyway, I discerned the 630 station to be WQBS from San Juan PR. Knowing Cooper would be awake -- Monday Mornings had become HIS prime DX period -- I called him and told him about WQBS being nice and loud on 630 .....
I heard just the clonk of his phone hitting the wall and frantic footsteps. I hung up. My work was finished here.
Hartland, VT:
Nothing days, WPRO Providence, RI, nights with right-wing talk.
Meriden, CT:
WPRO Providence, 24/7.
Nothing days, WPRO Providence, RI, nights with right-wing talk.
Meriden, CT:
WPRO Providence, 24/7.
Near north Chicago suburbs, days mostly WTMJ splash, on a good radio CFCO, and St Louis can be heard depending on which way the radio is oriented. Night mostly the same but different strengths have occasionally heard Denver
Denver, CO - Local KHOW, day and night. Once one of the more successful stations in Denver, now a dumping ground for iHeart syndicated talk that wouldn't otherwise have a home in the market.
In the past - in central Missouri, it would be KXOK in the daytime, but the nighttime pattern was aimed away from that location because of Denver. Still, I only have one note from that time: CKRC Winnipeg, playing country music in 1980. In Houston (1985-86), KSLR (ex-KMAC) was often heard.
History - The 630 frequency had major changes late in 1940. In Missouri, the St. Louis Star-Times bought Columbia's KFRU in 1936. KFRU broadcast on 630, and was famed in Missouri for broadcasting State Highway Patrol dispatches until the patrol got its own "shortwave" station in the late 1930s. But the Star-Times had bigger targets in its sight than Columbia. The Star-Times had established KXOK on 1250 kHz in 1938, despite opposition from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which owned KSD. KXOK had full-time operation with a DA, but KFRU shared time with WGBF in Evansville, Indiana at night. Meanwhile, over in Denver, KHOW was seeking to get out of its share-time arrangement with KFEL on 920. Here's the deal that was worked out: WGBF would get 1250; KXOK and KHOW would each get 630 and protect each other at night, with KFEL staying on 920 fulltime; and KFRU would be shunted off to a local channel, 1370. NARBA moved WGBF to 1280 and KFRU to 1400, where they remain today. Arguably, KFRU got the raw end of this deal, though the Star-Times waited until after the end of World War II to sell it to a partnership in Columbia. KXOK actually outlasted the Star-Times and eventually wound up as one of the famed Storz Top-40 stations of the 1960s. Time for a disclaimer: I was KFRU's news director for four years in the 1980s and finding out about this little dance of frequencies is what got me interested in the history of radio stations.
In the past - in central Missouri, it would be KXOK in the daytime, but the nighttime pattern was aimed away from that location because of Denver. Still, I only have one note from that time: CKRC Winnipeg, playing country music in 1980. In Houston (1985-86), KSLR (ex-KMAC) was often heard.
History - The 630 frequency had major changes late in 1940. In Missouri, the St. Louis Star-Times bought Columbia's KFRU in 1936. KFRU broadcast on 630, and was famed in Missouri for broadcasting State Highway Patrol dispatches until the patrol got its own "shortwave" station in the late 1930s. But the Star-Times had bigger targets in its sight than Columbia. The Star-Times had established KXOK on 1250 kHz in 1938, despite opposition from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which owned KSD. KXOK had full-time operation with a DA, but KFRU shared time with WGBF in Evansville, Indiana at night. Meanwhile, over in Denver, KHOW was seeking to get out of its share-time arrangement with KFEL on 920. Here's the deal that was worked out: WGBF would get 1250; KXOK and KHOW would each get 630 and protect each other at night, with KFEL staying on 920 fulltime; and KFRU would be shunted off to a local channel, 1370. NARBA moved WGBF to 1280 and KFRU to 1400, where they remain today. Arguably, KFRU got the raw end of this deal, though the Star-Times waited until after the end of World War II to sell it to a partnership in Columbia. KXOK actually outlasted the Star-Times and eventually wound up as one of the famed Storz Top-40 stations of the 1960s. Time for a disclaimer: I was KFRU's news director for four years in the 1980s and finding out about this little dance of frequencies is what got me interested in the history of radio stations.
Bellingham WA -
Days and nights, a weak KCIS Edmonds WA. (Christian Information Station) Sister is KCMS-FM (Christian Music Station) Was once known in my youth as KGDN (The King's Garden)
This is one of those odd stations that has separate locations day and night. Days it is 5kW omni. Basically in the city (15 miles N of downtown Seattle.) Nights they move to 2500W with three towers in another county, somehwat north and about 15 miles east of the daytime emitter. In another county! They send the vast majority of the signal N, S, and mostly W. The day tower is on their campus and owned by them; the night array is in what is now highly a desirable area for residential construction. HOWEVER the night array is in a swamp and that specific address is far from buildable- they onw this tower system as well. Since they own both locations outright I don't think we will see any changes until the no longer see a need for the AM.
Days and nights, a weak KCIS Edmonds WA. (Christian Information Station) Sister is KCMS-FM (Christian Music Station) Was once known in my youth as KGDN (The King's Garden)
This is one of those odd stations that has separate locations day and night. Days it is 5kW omni. Basically in the city (15 miles N of downtown Seattle.) Nights they move to 2500W with three towers in another county, somehwat north and about 15 miles east of the daytime emitter. In another county! They send the vast majority of the signal N, S, and mostly W. The day tower is on their campus and owned by them; the night array is in what is now highly a desirable area for residential construction. HOWEVER the night array is in a swamp and that specific address is far from buildable- they onw this tower system as well. Since they own both locations outright I don't think we will see any changes until the no longer see a need for the AM.
Canyon Lake, Texas is KSLR from San Antonio. The signal from their directional array in China Grove (the preacher and the teacher may still be an item, but no verification here) is rock solid by day. If you drive down I37 to Corpus, you go in and out of their nulls all the way.
At night, it’s a mesh of signals with KSLR down in the mush. Their null from the nighttime array on Interstate 10 towards Seguin is aimed right at me. If you go 5 miles North, South, East or West, the signal is robust.
KSLR has been Religious since 1983. They were KMAC for decades. In the 70’s, they were block programmed; farm and ranch, C & W, Religion, Hard Rock simulcast from then sister station 99.5 KISS and even the Metropolitan Opera on Saturday afternoons.
At night, it’s a mesh of signals with KSLR down in the mush. Their null from the nighttime array on Interstate 10 towards Seguin is aimed right at me. If you go 5 miles North, South, East or West, the signal is robust.
KSLR has been Religious since 1983. They were KMAC for decades. In the 70’s, they were block programmed; farm and ranch, C & W, Religion, Hard Rock simulcast from then sister station 99.5 KISS and even the Metropolitan Opera on Saturday afternoons.
West side of Houston TX
Daytime, a weak KSLR from San Antonio
Sunset, KSLR is joined by KYFI St Louis, a weak KHOW, and sometimes XEFU "La F-U" Cosmaloapan Ver.
Nights, the aforementioned. I have also heard Radio Progreso from Cuba and XEFB Monterrey.
XEFB is listed as inactive in mwlist, but IRCA's latest Mexican Log says they're still on with Acustik Radio programming. I haven't heard them in a while so not sure.
Daytime, a weak KSLR from San Antonio
Sunset, KSLR is joined by KYFI St Louis, a weak KHOW, and sometimes XEFU "La F-U" Cosmaloapan Ver.
Nights, the aforementioned. I have also heard Radio Progreso from Cuba and XEFB Monterrey.
XEFB is listed as inactive in mwlist, but IRCA's latest Mexican Log says they're still on with Acustik Radio programming. I haven't heard them in a while so not sure.
Boise Idaho
Local KFXD (was KIDO)
Night a weak 36 watt KFXD signal. KHOW and maybe KPLY (Reno).
Local KFXD (was KIDO)
Night a weak 36 watt KFXD signal. KHOW and maybe KPLY (Reno).
Clifton, New Jersey
Days: Some splatter from WSNR "Davidzon Radio 620 AM" Jersey City, NJ.
Nights: It's usually CFCO Chatham, ON. I have received WPRO Providence, RI and WSBN Washington, DC in the past. WUNO San Juan, PR was my most recent new catch from earlier this month.
Days: Some splatter from WSNR "Davidzon Radio 620 AM" Jersey City, NJ.
Nights: It's usually CFCO Chatham, ON. I have received WPRO Providence, RI and WSBN Washington, DC in the past. WUNO San Juan, PR was my most recent new catch from earlier this month.
Here in Wood Dale, IL in the near NW suburb of Chicago:
Daytime: these days just WMFN splatter
Nighttime: normally CFCO or KYFI (ex-KXOK)
DX/RETRO: KXOK and few times CFCO were heard during daytime. DX wise throughout the years include WLAP (Lexington, KY), KHOW (Denver, CO), WMAL (DC), WVVW (S. Mary's, WV), WBMQ (Savannah, GA), CHLT (Sherbrooke, PQ). Foreign catches include the pesky Cubans and Radio America, Honduras back in 1980's..
Daytime: these days just WMFN splatter
Nighttime: normally CFCO or KYFI (ex-KXOK)
DX/RETRO: KXOK and few times CFCO were heard during daytime. DX wise throughout the years include WLAP (Lexington, KY), KHOW (Denver, CO), WMAL (DC), WVVW (S. Mary's, WV), WBMQ (Savannah, GA), CHLT (Sherbrooke, PQ). Foreign catches include the pesky Cubans and Radio America, Honduras back in 1980's..
KHOW nights; WREY days. (No more CKRC, or now, CHED.)
From NW San Antonio…
Day: It’s local KSLR “The Word.”
DX: When KSLR goes to night power/pattern, there is a partial N-NE/S-SW null. In it I can hear various combinations of KYFI in St. Louis, XEPBGJ in Guadalajara, XEFB in Monterrey, and KHOW in Denver.
KYFI is most common/intelligible. XEPBGJ and KHOW are heard more often and better at sunrise. I only started hearing XEFB again recently.
Retro: In the late ‘70s when I was a teenager getting into rock music and KSLR was KMAC, I often listened to it at night. I don’t recall it simulcasting with KISS-FM at that time; rather, the DJ (not Joe Anthony) would play songs by artists that were rarely or never played on S.A. radio, like Syd Barrett, Love, Lou Reed, and 801 (Brian Eno, Phol Manzanera, and others).
Day: It’s local KSLR “The Word.”
DX: When KSLR goes to night power/pattern, there is a partial N-NE/S-SW null. In it I can hear various combinations of KYFI in St. Louis, XEPBGJ in Guadalajara, XEFB in Monterrey, and KHOW in Denver.
KYFI is most common/intelligible. XEPBGJ and KHOW are heard more often and better at sunrise. I only started hearing XEFB again recently.
Retro: In the late ‘70s when I was a teenager getting into rock music and KSLR was KMAC, I often listened to it at night. I don’t recall it simulcasting with KISS-FM at that time; rather, the DJ (not Joe Anthony) would play songs by artists that were rarely or never played on S.A. radio, like Syd Barrett, Love, Lou Reed, and 801 (Brian Eno, Phol Manzanera, and others).
Oddly, I was messing around with my car radio when sitting in Vancouver BC traffic the other day. I came across KCIS and it came in crystal clear! Better than KVI on 570. Better than KIRO on 710 (but I think I was getting a lot of interference from CBU on 690).
Central Kentucky: What else? WLAP Lexington. Day and night.
"The Home of the Wildcats. Newsradio 630 WLAP"
The flagship station of University of Kentucky sports. If you are DXing 630 and you hear a U of K football or basketball game, you know you have WLAP.
WLAP was Lexingtons first radio station.
It was moved from Louisville to Lexington in 1930 and was originally on 1450 at 250 watts. In 1952, WLAP moved to its current 630 position with a new power and pattern.
WLAP spent most of its existence being second place to next-door neighbor (on the dial) WVLK. Kentucky Central Life Insurance owned WVLK and had deeper pockets, and were quite aggressive in making WVLK #1. It worked.
Both were full service/Top 40 but WVLK had the edge having ( then) U of K sports and having gone 24 hours in the mid 50s. WVLK also started playing "rock n roll" well before WLAP.
During the April 3rd, 1974 Tornado Super Outbreak, WLAP announced they would be running their day power and pattern all night long.
WLAP and WHAS were the only 2 stations on the air that night in this part of the state. They had just moved into their new transmitter/studio site complete with backup generator in January of that year. Timing is everything.
The next day, WLAP mentioned in their newscasts that they had received reception reports from well outside their listening area, especially from the northeast.
WLAP would not go permanent 24 hours until late 1974. The FM side ( WLAP FM) went 24 hours with TM Stereo Rock at that time, so the AM guy had to man the automated FM side.
The rise of FM in the mid 70s relegated WVLK and WLAP to third and fourth place, respectively.
Like many heritage AMs, WLAP has maintained its original calls throughout its existence.
Unlike many heritage AMs today, WLAP does not have a translator although they have filed for one.
I believe the FM band is full here and there's no extra allocations.
"The Home of the Wildcats. Newsradio 630 WLAP"
The flagship station of University of Kentucky sports. If you are DXing 630 and you hear a U of K football or basketball game, you know you have WLAP.
WLAP was Lexingtons first radio station.
It was moved from Louisville to Lexington in 1930 and was originally on 1450 at 250 watts. In 1952, WLAP moved to its current 630 position with a new power and pattern.
WLAP spent most of its existence being second place to next-door neighbor (on the dial) WVLK. Kentucky Central Life Insurance owned WVLK and had deeper pockets, and were quite aggressive in making WVLK #1. It worked.
Both were full service/Top 40 but WVLK had the edge having ( then) U of K sports and having gone 24 hours in the mid 50s. WVLK also started playing "rock n roll" well before WLAP.
During the April 3rd, 1974 Tornado Super Outbreak, WLAP announced they would be running their day power and pattern all night long.
WLAP and WHAS were the only 2 stations on the air that night in this part of the state. They had just moved into their new transmitter/studio site complete with backup generator in January of that year. Timing is everything.
The next day, WLAP mentioned in their newscasts that they had received reception reports from well outside their listening area, especially from the northeast.
WLAP would not go permanent 24 hours until late 1974. The FM side ( WLAP FM) went 24 hours with TM Stereo Rock at that time, so the AM guy had to man the automated FM side.
The rise of FM in the mid 70s relegated WVLK and WLAP to third and fourth place, respectively.
Like many heritage AMs, WLAP has maintained its original calls throughout its existence.
Unlike many heritage AMs today, WLAP does not have a translator although they have filed for one.
I believe the FM band is full here and there's no extra allocations.
Orange County, TX Days KSLR, nee KMAC, San Antonio with a weak but listenable signal. Nights KYFI, nee KXOK, ST Louis and at times KHOW Denver makes an appearance in the background. Spanish language stations also
Retro: In the '60's KXOK was one of my "DX" stations I'd listen to when they were Top 40
Retro: In the '60's KXOK was one of my "DX" stations I'd listen to when they were Top 40
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