The 15s: 1500-1600

[gr8oldies]

Awhile back, someone did "the 14s". I thought, I'm kinda bored today, why not take a walk through the top of the traditional dial? What do you get, what have you gotten, and what "Famous" 15s do you remember?

Knoxville TN:
1500 nada days/sunset WBRI Indy, WFED Washington/night hodgepodge
1510 nada days/WLAC sunrise, sunset and winter skip/WLAC nights
1520 days NADA/nights KHRW Sikeston/KOKC night
1530 nada days/WCKY sunrise/sunset and my first indicator of winter daytime skip
1540 whisper of WJJT Jellico TN days/CHIN and/or KXEL nights
1550 weak WIGN Bristol days, WAZX Smyrna GA sometimes/Night: WIGN, ex-WDLR, what is now WQCD, Delaware, OH, the defunct New Castle, IN station, WRHC, others
1560- days nada but about once a year now-deleted WCNW, Fairfield, OH would make the trip middays/Night WFME, even with the wire though weak, WMBH, Joplin MO.
1570-Weak WCLE, Cleveland TN days/ hodge-podge at night including XERF and WLRS, New Albany, IN,
1580-WWTF Georgetown KY days/nights hodgepodge that can include CKDO
1590-WBHN, Bryson City NC days, WAKR on winter daytime skip or sunrise/sunset/nights/nights WCGO, hodge podge
1600-days-weak WTZQ, Hendersonville NC, stronger toward sunset/sunset/ SRS WUCT, Algood, TN and WZNZ, Atlantic Beach FL/nights, hodgepodge but before their hurricane damage, KLEB, Golden Meadow, LA was in everytime we had auroral conditions.
Famous 15s. Of course WLAC with a big night signal and Ernie's Record Mart. I never heard WKBW, its directions pattern never hit anywhere I was. I've yet to hear the Bahamas on 1540. I've worked at 2 1570s in Ohio and Indiana.

 

[Steve Green NEPA]

Joining you in the Sunday ennui, Great, lol.
I don't have either the newer NEPA loggings or the old Queens NYC ones handy.. They're at the old house and as of yet not here yet.
But that's okay. I *do* have a Queens recall, marveling at the shoehorned 1500-1600 logjam of Metro Balt-D.C. If I may:

1500 - WTOP
1510 - WSJC Salem NJ, across two accommodating water-paths.
1520 - WVOB, Bel Air MD was a daytimer. Right up the Chesapeake Water Flue
1530 - WCTR Chestertown MD, omni, with 2/3rds of Balt in its secondary range
1540 - WDON Wheaton MD. 12 miles N of the FCC building.
1550 - WSER Elkton MD is a stretch, but a salt-water boat ride to south Baltimore.
1560 - Now-lights out WKIK got a full-time license after a while. They played C&W.
1570 - A Towson MD station Formerly Known as WTOW is 2 mi. N of Baltimore.
1580 - 50 feet outside DC is huge WPGC.
1590 - WISZ Glen Burnie (now WFBR) is 8 miles S of downtown Baltimore.
1600 - WINX Rockville MD is15 mi NW of the White House.

Doubtless, other big metros come to mind for some when it comes to 1500-1600 -- and just for midday reception. For instance, a check of the always infallible Radio Locator shows four of the five NYC boroughs with salt water frontage. San Francisco has a bunch. But as long as Balt/DC generally shares the same VHF and FM frequencies .....

 

[gr8oldies]

Joining you in the Sunday ennui, Great, lol.
I don't have either the newer NEPA loggings or the old Queens NYC ones handy.. They're at the old house and as of yet not here yet.
But that's okay. I *do* have a Queens recall, marveling at the shoehorned 1500-1600 logjam of Metro Balt-D.C. If I may:

1500 - WTOP
1510 - WSJC Salem NJ, across two accommodating water-paths.
1520 - WVOB, Bel Air MD was a daytimer. Right up the Chesapeake Water Flue
1530 - WCTR Chestertown MD, omni, with 2/3rds of Balt in its secondary range
1540 - WDON Wheaton MD. 12 miles N of the FCC building.
1550 - WSER Elkton MD is a stretch, but a salt-water boat ride to south Baltimore.
1560 - Now-lights out WKIK got a full-time license after a while. They played C&W.
1570 - A Towson MD station Formerly Known as WTOW is 2 mi. N of Baltimore.
1580 - 50 feet outside DC is huge WPGC.
1590 - WISZ Glen Burnie (now WFBR) is 8 miles S of downtown Baltimore.
1600 - WINX Rockville MD is15 mi NW of the White House.

Doubtless, other big metros come to mind for some when it comes to 1500-1600 -- and just for midday reception. For instance, a check of the always infallible Radio Locator shows four of the five NYC boroughs with salt water frontage. San Francisco has a bunch. But as long as Balt/DC generally shares the same VHF and FM frequencies .....

Very cool, thanks!

 

[SarahB98]

Joining you in the Sunday ennui, Great, lol.
I don't have either the newer NEPA loggings or the old Queens NYC ones handy.. They're at the old house and as of yet not here yet.
But that's okay. I *do* have a Queens recall, marveling at the shoehorned 1500-1600 logjam of Metro Balt-D.C. If I may:

1500 - WTOP
1510 - WSJC Salem NJ, across two accommodating water-paths.
1520 - WVOB, Bel Air MD was a daytimer. Right up the Chesapeake Water Flue
1530 - WCTR Chestertown MD, omni, with 2/3rds of Balt in its secondary range
1540 - WDON Wheaton MD. 12 miles N of the FCC building.
1550 - WSER Elkton MD is a stretch, but a salt-water boat ride to south Baltimore.
1560 - Now-lights out WKIK got a full-time license after a while. They played C&W.
1570 - A Towson MD station Formerly Known as WTOW is 2 mi. N of Baltimore.
1580 - 50 feet outside DC is huge WPGC.
1590 - WISZ Glen Burnie (now WFBR) is 8 miles S of downtown Baltimore.
1600 - WINX Rockville MD is15 mi NW of the White House.

Doubtless, other big metros come to mind for some when it comes to 1500-1600 -- and just for midday reception. For instance, a check of the always infallible Radio Locator shows four of the five NYC boroughs with salt water frontage. San Francisco has a bunch. But as long as Balt/DC generally shares the same VHF and FM frequencies .....

I found a wvob sign off

 

[schmave]

Around Columbus, Ohio, it's not the most active part of the dial but here's what I can add ...
1500: Nothing by day. I have heard a weak WFED/ex-WTOP at night a few times.
1510: WLGN from Logan by day, weak but listenable from about 40 miles southeast; usually a strong WLAC at night.
1520: Can't think of anything off hand.
1530: WCKY 24/7, rarely all that impressive. Extremely weak daytime and not much better at night.
1540: Nothing by day, usually KXEL at night.
1550: WDLR/WQCD from about 35 miles north/northwest at all hours. Solid daytime, usually have to pull it out of the mud at night.
1560: Nothing by day, a weak WFME at night if anything. I have never heard pulled in KGOW here.
1570: Nothing. Like KGOW, I've never received XERF that I know of. I remember hearing it many times when I lived in Houston.
1580: Local WXGT/ex-WVKO at all hours
1590: Nothing but WXGT slop

 

[gr8oldies]

Around Columbus, Ohio, it's not the most active part of the dial but here's what I can add ...
1500: Nothing by day. I have heard a weak WFED/ex-WTOP at night a few times.
1510: WLGN from Logan by day, weak but listenable from about 40 miles southeast; usually a strong WLAC at night.
1520: Can't think of anything off hand.
1530: WCKY 24/7, rarely all that impressive. Extremely weak daytime and not much better at night.
1540: Nothing by day, usually KXEL at night.
1550: WDLR/WQCD from about 35 miles north/northwest at all hours. Solid daytime, usually have to pull it out of the mud at night.
1560: Nothing by day, a weak WFME at night if anything. I have never heard pulled in KGOW here.
1570: Nothing. Like KGOW, I've never received XERF that I know of. I remember hearing it many times when I lived in Houston.
1580: Local WXGT/ex-WVKO at all hours
1590: Nothing but WXGT slop

It's interesting how I can hear WCKY better in East Tennessee than I could in Dayton. I forgot about KGOW, which has made it here. XERF is rare now but I remember when it was the 250,000 watt blaster, with mostly screaming preachers; I missed the Wolfman era.