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10 kHz AM Frequencies of the week - 680 kHz and 690 kHz (see below)

B

Buckeyes2001

Thought we could open both of these frequencies for discussion since there is a station, WNZK in Detroit that operates on both.Also CKGM just moved to 690 from 990. What do you get on 680 and 690 AM?

In Vermilion, OH:
680 - CFTR/Toronto during the day and at night CFTR and WNZK mixed with other unknowns.
690 - WNZK during the day and at night a jumble
 
Canadian stations are the reason why WNZK has to change frequencies. There's too much interference from CFTR 680 days and they're too close to the Canadian border to protect CKGM or other 690 stations that operated in Montreal at night.
 
Suburban Rochester NY: 680 is mostly CFTR by day, with some WINR Binghamton sometimes in the background. 690 used to be CBF, but the newer directional incarnations of 690 in Montreal don't send anywhere near as much signal down my way as CBF did from its tall non-directional tower at Brossard, QC.

At night, CFTR and WPTF usually fight it out on 680. 690's once again Montreal, with a grab-bag of other signals that drifted in and out when Montreal was silent.

I suspect a lot of these signals aren't really supposed to make it here; CFTR is much stronger in Rochester than it was when its 8-tower site in Grimsby was first built, which suggests to me that it's running out of pattern, and I know some of the US 690s that made it in here when Montreal was silent had to be using day power after dark.
 
680 is a weak CTFR during the day and at night CFTR stronger along with another station which I'm guessing is WPTF.

690 is now Montreals TSN 690 which just recently put 690 back on air in Montreal. When they were off I commonly got WELD Fisher, WV. I'm pretty sure they were running daytime power sometimes, because there would be nights they would come in loud and clear (usually when they were carrying local football) and other nights where 690 was quiet.
 
In East Texas during the day it's classic country KKYX 680 from San Antonio, and nothing on 690. (Locally 690 was once home to heritage urban KZEY Tyler, which was sadly allowed to waste away a few years ago.)

At night KKYX goes directional to the southeast and is replaced by a really strong KFEQ Saint Joseph, Missouri; the southern end of their basic figure 8 pattern is pointed this way.

Likewise 690 comes alive at night with a dependable signal from KGGF Coffeyville KS.
 
It looks like there are only two separate directional patterns, and one nondirectional with a short tower, Scott. There are four records for CINF, and two each for CKGM and C690 (sic). The day and night are identical for all the facilities shown. I wonder if this opens up any possibility for US stations. With the very short towers for all the 690 Montreal facilities shown, I doubt if the skywave travels much further north. And they were protected to the border before, so that doesn't change the protected skywave to the south.

What happened to the tall tower for CBF and CBM?
 
jd said:
In East Texas during the day it's classic country KKYX 680 from San Antonio, and nothing on 690.
Click to expand...

Ditto in Houston, KKYX is almost like a local. When I lived in Dallas, it was very strong as well. I've heard KNBR at night in Dallas, although not yet in Houston.

690 is completely blank in my Houston location even with KEYH 700 nulled.
 
In Central Mass it's the Boston 680, On 690 I've gotten a very small station in West Va several times as well as 690 Jacksonville a few times.
In SW Fla it's predominately the 680 out of Raleigh but San Antonio 680 makes frequent visits. Cannot remember what is on 690 in SW Fla.
 
680 daytime-nothing. In Bothell could get a weak KBRD Lacey, WA
680 sunset-KBRD Lacey, WA and KOMW Omak, WA as well as a weak KNBR San Francisco, CA at times.
680 nighttime-KNBR San Francisco. Never have gotten anything at all other than KNBR at night.

690 daytime-CBU Vancouver, BC weak
690 sunset-CBU and sometimes KRCO Prineville, OR
690 nighttime-CBU and XEWW Tijuana, BCN

From Bellevue, WA.

-crainbebo
 
Near north Chicago suburbs on 680 under WSCR splatter at night I can hear WPTF, CFTR, & sometimes in the late night early morning hours KNBR.
690 at night the old Montreal station dominated, now it's a mixture. If I null the east I sometimes hear WIST at night. During critical hours, especially in the fall & early winter WJOX is strong.
 
Schroedingers Cat said:
It looks like there are only two separate directional patterns, and one nondirectional with a short tower, Scott. There are four records for CINF, and two each for CKGM and C690 (sic). The day and night are identical for all the facilities shown. I wonder if this opens up any possibility for US stations. With the very short towers for all the 690 Montreal facilities shown, I doubt if the skywave travels much further north. And they were protected to the border before, so that doesn't change the protected skywave to the south.

What happened to the tall tower for CBF and CBM?
Click to expand...

It remained standing for quite a few years after CBC shut down its AMs in 1999, but was finally demolished a couple of years ago after they couldn't find any tenants who wanted to lease it or buy it.

Don't trust anything in the FCC CDBS as being an accurate representation of what 690 is really running in Montreal, just what needs to be protected by US signals on that frequency. The actual 690 facility for CKGM is at the same site in Mercier where CKGM 990 is licensed. I believe it's running a two-tower DA there, with most of the power pointed away from the border and north into Montreal.
 
I think I noticed the change on 690 at night.

Northern VA,

Days, semilocal WCBM Baltimore, and during the winter, I heard WPTF underneath.
Semi-weak WELD in West VA.
Sunsise/sunset, it's usually both 680 stations.
At night, it's WCBM and WPTF, plus some unIDs underneath. On 690, I logged in WIST New Orelans and WJOX Birmingham.
Tonight, it's a sports talker in English, I think it's the Montreal station, plus Radio Progreso underneath.
 
Memphis:

680: local WMFS

690: i've heard what I assume is WJOX Birmingham under the splatter at night
 
Far northwest suburban Chicago....

Days: Both 680 and 690 are blank. Splatter from WSCR/670 covers 680 completely.

Nights: On 680, nulling WSCR sometimes produces WCTT, Corbin, KY. I've also heard CFTR on rare occasions. "Back in the day", infrequently KNBR and even CJOB, but I haven't heard either of these in years.

On 690, CBU was pretty common, although I'd sometimes catch WTIX. I haven't heard the newest Montreal 690 yet, but that's because I haven't tried. That'll go on my "to do" list. I also used to regularly get KGGF (Coffeyville, KS) at sunset when they were still on day pattern, but I haven't heard this one for a while, either.
 
cd637299 said:
Why is Montreal 690 no longer non-directional?

cd
Click to expand...

When CBF went silent and the CRTC took applications for a new 690, the new winning applicant owned its own transmitter site south of Montreal and had no interest in leasing or buying the old CBF site in Brossard, east of Montreal. The new site in Kahnawahke had four towers already standing (it was the old CIQC 600 site), and it made sense to be DA from there in order to concentrate the 690 signal over Montreal island and not waste a lot of it over US soil to the south. Because the new site has shorter towers that throw off skywave at a different angle, there may also have been protection issues involving WRKO and other adjacent channels.
 
Crystal Lake, IL - NW suburb of Chicago

680
Daytime -
nothing.
Critical Hours -
WNZK Signs on for night: much weaker than 690 (rare)
Night -
WCTT Corbin, KY [comes in especially good with auroral conditions]
WPTF Raleigh, NC most consistent of 680
CFTR Toronto, ON
KNBR San Francisco, CA (early morning to just after sunrise)
KFEQ St. Joseph, MO

690
Daytime -
WVCY Oshkosh, WI (very weak)
Critical Hours -
WNZK signs off for day: decent signal (heard a few times)
WELD Fisher, WV (evenings)
WZAP Bristol, VA (mornings)
KSTL St. Louis, MO (rare)
WJOX Birmingham, AL (sometimes on later than sunset with day power)
WCBM Baltimore, MD
Night -
KTSM El Paso, TX (around sunrise)
WIST New Orleans, LA
KGGF Coffeyville, KS (around sunrise)
WMFS Memphis, TN
CKGM Montreal, QC (ex-CBF, CINF)
 
WCNN 680 The Fan during the day 680 WPTF Raleigh, North Carolina at night. 690 is nothing but bleedover from 680 The Fan during the day and slop at night
 
From NE NC. 680 days is WPTF. Sometimes in winter also hear WCBM Baltimore mid days. Sunrise sunset WCNN wipes out WPTF. Also WRKO Boston.

690 days is nothing. Late afternoon usually is WOKV. Sometimes WJOX Birmingham on top. Sunrise hear WZAP Bristol, VA. Winter mid day is sometimes WADS Ansonia, CT. All on car radio.
 
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