My first night of a quickie two-night road trip this week was yesterday (5/12), in Greenwood, Indiana. An Indianapolis suburb about 8 miles south of downtown Indy. Those of you who regularly visit the Edinburgh SDR already have a good idea of what you can hear on the AM band in that city, so I won't rehash hat you guys already know. (Edinburgh is about 20 miles south of where I was staying). But I'll share a couple of observations that struck me as interesting. Note that I have a hard time connecting online to the Edinburg receiver, so I was glad to be staying om the top floor of an almost completely noise-free hotel.
First, the scan button on my car radio. The only stops on AM were 700, 810, 840, 920, 950, 1260, 1310, and 1430. Take away WLW, WHAS, and WBAA, and that only leaves five in-market signals in a major (and sprawling) metro area. Perhaps not all that big of a deal. But at night, the only one of those that was alone and presumably city grade was 1310. 950 was present, but getting clobbered. 1260 and 1430 not doing much better. 810 was there, but under WGY. No big deal in my opinion, because I don't think they're supposed to be on at night in the first place.
The surprise catch was WFAW from Fort Atkinson, WI. Perhaps some of you guys are hearing it on the Edinburgh radio. All 550 watts of it. At my home location, I hear it on groundwave from the southeast lobe of their figure eight pattern, which obviously is what makes it into Indiana on skywave. At first, I thought what I might be hearing was WMIX from Mount Vernon, IL. But then I got two positive IDs. in the midst of the oldies format.
Also perhaps worth noting.... !070. It was weird not to have WIBC roaring in (and to not see those towers northwest of the city coming in on I-65) What I was hearing on 1070 at night was all WCSZ,
Finally, I also checked 610 and 1290. On 610, I was curious to see if I could hear WTVN (aka "Radio Free Canada"). Nope. At least nothing I could identify on a nearly empty channel. 1290 was a mild surprise. WHKY all alone, I knew I was in the nulls of both WHIO and WIRL, but I was still not exactly expecting to hear WHKY. Let alone with a pretty decent signal.
First, the scan button on my car radio. The only stops on AM were 700, 810, 840, 920, 950, 1260, 1310, and 1430. Take away WLW, WHAS, and WBAA, and that only leaves five in-market signals in a major (and sprawling) metro area. Perhaps not all that big of a deal. But at night, the only one of those that was alone and presumably city grade was 1310. 950 was present, but getting clobbered. 1260 and 1430 not doing much better. 810 was there, but under WGY. No big deal in my opinion, because I don't think they're supposed to be on at night in the first place.
The surprise catch was WFAW from Fort Atkinson, WI. Perhaps some of you guys are hearing it on the Edinburgh radio. All 550 watts of it. At my home location, I hear it on groundwave from the southeast lobe of their figure eight pattern, which obviously is what makes it into Indiana on skywave. At first, I thought what I might be hearing was WMIX from Mount Vernon, IL. But then I got two positive IDs. in the midst of the oldies format.
Also perhaps worth noting.... !070. It was weird not to have WIBC roaring in (and to not see those towers northwest of the city coming in on I-65) What I was hearing on 1070 at night was all WCSZ,
Finally, I also checked 610 and 1290. On 610, I was curious to see if I could hear WTVN (aka "Radio Free Canada"). Nope. At least nothing I could identify on a nearly empty channel. 1290 was a mild surprise. WHKY all alone, I knew I was in the nulls of both WHIO and WIRL, but I was still not exactly expecting to hear WHKY. Let alone with a pretty decent signal.
