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1430 -- From What Station (Day & Night) Would You Like ....

... to get a QSL Valentine?

In the recent days here in NEPA -- far less feverish than the 60's and 70's vigils -- I've managed four loggings on 1430. In the day I'm musing that it would be nice to hear my closest 1430 unheard -- WNAV Annapolis.

At night, I harken back to one delirious mid-60's overnight back in Queens. I somehow managed to pull the hat trick of WIRE Indianapolis, WIL St. Louis and KELI Tulsa. So any one of those will do in 2020 here in PA. I'm holding my breath, hi.

* * * * * * *

Weird sunrise sign-on one morning near JFK, maybe 1965. Way, way in the mud but all alone was the sign-on of WNEL from Puerto Rico.
That was immediately smothered by the loud, clear sign-on of WIII in Homestead FL! Must've been quite Auroral out.
I doubt I'll ever hear either of those stations again. So maybe if I'm real lucky I might log WIRE Indianapolis (or whatever they're called now).

Your 1430 targets ?
 
KZQZ (Saint Louis) has a good mix of oldies, albeit voice tracked and with less than pristine audio. I'm out of range of their monster day signal, but they're usually on top of 1430 at night when they power down to 5kw. Problem is they're prone to noise and fading. So the best option is to listen to them online.
 
KZQZ (Saint Louis) has a good mix of oldies, albeit voice tracked and with less than pristine audio. I'm out of range of their monster day signal, but they're usually on top of 1430 at night when they power down to 5kw. Problem is they're prone to noise and fading. So the best option is to listen to them online.

And I have to listen to them online as WEEF is too strong at my location even at night.
 
West Central Georgia:

1430 is a tough frequency here with local WRCG Columbus GA on next door 1420.

I've already heard WDAL "Bulldog Country" from Dalton GA 2500/72 but still trying for the other 1430 station in Georgia WYKG Covington GA 3900/212.

I've caught WRMG from Red Bay AL 1000D but should be able to catch WFHK from Pell City AL 5000D.

WLTG Panama City FL 5000 should also be possible from my location, especially with 5000 watts at night.

Enjoyed listening to KZQZ from St. Louis MO on 1430 when I lived in the midwest.
 
In East Tennessee, WXNT (ex WIRE) makes it in from Indianapolis most nights. I don't think I've heard St. Louis here. I'll make my most wanted WCLT in Newark, Ohio.
 
I love interesting local stations, so my most wanted on 1430 would have to be KMRC in Morgan City, LA, "The Swamp Dog". They play swamp pop music, a mix of country, New Orleans r&b, and Cajun music, which is only found in South Louisiana. Only 500 watts, but am trying at sunset, in the null of my local KSHU.
 
KVVN Santa Clara (Vietnamese) followed by KYNO Fresno (Oldies). Both VERY elusive here. Normally 1430 is filled with pests, i.e. KYKN, KLO, KCLK. I have heard KJAY a few times in aurora, and I know they were on 500 watts day power.
 
KVVN Santa Clara (Vietnamese) followed by KYNO Fresno (Oldies). Both VERY elusive here. Normally 1430 is filled with pests, i.e. KYKN, KLO, KCLK. I have heard KJAY a few times in aurora, and I know they were on 500 watts day power.

About 10-15 years ago, I seem to remember a 1430 that I would hear on my runs between Seattle and Vancouver. It would trip the scan button around the stretch between Mount Vernon and Bellingham. Format was oldies and the audio was pretty bad. The call letters now completely escape me. Any idea what that was/is? Is that one of the pests you're talking about? Is it even still day?
 
KBRC Mt Vernon. Now classic rock.
 
KBRC-

I worked for that pest back in 1989-91. Our audio was actually pretty outstanding then, C-Quam AM Stereo. Had quite a thing going with our local Chrysler dealer- he pushed us and his AM Stereo radios in his cars, and his spoiled teenage daughter got to work Saturday afternoons on the air. We were a 24/7 live AC station with two (!) local news folks, live remotes every weekend, high school football etc.

Then came the sale(s), the flooding of the 1940's era studios, the low-fi telco STL, and on and on....typical AM story. Now it's automated classic rock, mainly to feed the FM translator. At least it is now owned by a local radio savvy family, running both (former rival) AMs and their respective FM xlators in a quite lean fashion. Good for them!

Funny thing was, the airstaff all joked about calling the station The Brick but of course never did during the live AC days. Now that it's classic rock, it is indeed called The Brick. Those call were just begging for this! LOL.

KBRC was originally started by Leo Beckley, and the BRC stood for Beckley Radio Company. Place had a little stage for live (Big) Bands to play and everything. By the time I got there the stage was enclosed with shelves to become the music library, with racks and racks of carts.

It is quite possible my son was conceived in the production studio...the best thing ever produced there! He's been live and extremely local for 30 years now! (Don't judge me...it was soundproof, locked from the inside, and windowless!) :)
 
I remember when KBRC first fired up 102.1. It sounded like I was listening to oldies through a telephone. Terrible, awful, horrible audio...they finally improved it a couple YEARS later IIRC. That 102.1 now simulcasts KAPS, which of course is also nearly all-satellite country. Their signal did very well on 660khz in south Snohomish County.
 
KBRC....now I remember. Thanks crainbebo. And "oldies through a telephone" is a great description of what I remember it sounding like.

I'm surprised "BRC" didn't stick in my brain because in the parallel universe I moved to after I got into after I left after I left broadcasting...publishing..."BRC" was a common term used for "business reply card". The number of advertisers wanting a free BRC to be inserted next to their regular print ad was something of a running joke.

I don't remember the 102.1, but I certainly remember KAPS. The were the pest that blew out CISL, which tended to be my favorite listen on my
Seattle-Vancouver drives (2003-2011). Wasn't KAPS running 10kw into a longwire antenna for a time?
 
When KAPS moved from 1470 down to 660, they erected a four tower top-fed array. It is indeed 10kW days (1 at night) and has been since the move. Someone with more tech sense would know what this type of system is called. Doesn't seem to work all that well- doesn't get out too far for a 10K at that low of a dial position. Word was it was done that way because it was less expensive, with no radials to bury. Not sure if that's true or not, but that was the scuttlebutt at the time.
 
When KAPS moved from 1470 down to 660, they erected a four tower top-fed array. It is indeed 10kW days (1 at night) and has been since the move. Someone with more tech sense would know what this type of system is called. Doesn't seem to work all that well- doesn't get out too far for a 10K at that low of a dial position. Word was it was done that way because it was less expensive, with no radials to bury. Not sure if that's true or not, but that was the scuttlebutt at the time.

I believe by "top fed" you mean a folded monopole, also called a folded unipole.

(A sort of top fed antenna is a a Franklin, which has two half-wave towers stacked, and fed half way up the total tower https://www.oldradio.com/archives/stations/ccs/kfbkpix.htm )

For a folded unipole, see page 7 of this...

http://www.crawfordbroadcasting.com/Eng_Files/AM Antenna Systems.pdf

Minimal ground systems are required, and the towers can be used for two-way and cellular as they are not insulated from ground.

Also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folded_unipole_antenna

Here is an ad for a seller of systems with some nice pictures:

https://www.kintronic.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Folded-Unipole-Kits-for-AM-MW-Broadcast.pdf
 

This has to be one of the strangest frequencies for the Bay Area. KVVN plays all Vietnamese, but since it's in Santa Clara, most of the Bay Area can't pick it up. We have KJAY in Sacramento playing all Asian, but the signal is very weak (20 w at night). So at night, I pick up either 1 of 2 stations.

KLO (25 Kw, 5 Kw), an adult standards out of Salt Lake City, or, KYNO (5 Kw), an oldies station out of Fresno. I guess it just depends on the weather conditions.
 
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