AM Frequency of the Week: 1230

[cyberdad]

A reminder for newcomers that this cycle is the formerly designated "regional" channels, along with the commonly designated "graveyard" channels, followed by X-bamd channels.. This week we look at....or listen to....1230.

40 miles northwest of Chicago.......

Days: 1230 here is a fair-weak WCLO from Janesville, Wisconsin....about 55 miles to my northwest. Usually a weaker WJOB from Hammond, Indiana underneath.

Night: Typical graveyard channel mess. Recent catches include KWNO Winona, MN. WXCO Wausau, WI, WFXN, Moline, IL and WJBC, Bloomington, IL. WBHP, Huntsville, AL.

I'm also hearing what may seem to be some sort of het on 1230 at night on all of my radios. Comes and goes. I also heard it, in a weaker version of it last month on the Gulf coast and last weekend in Canada. It sounds more like a rumble or vibration than a typical het. So maybe it's not a het. I don'tt hear anything like it on the other GY channels. Any ideas.

 

[schmave]

1230 here around Columbus is local WYTS, formerly WCOL. It's the Columbus affiliate for the Black Information Network at the moment, but in my lifetime it's been news/talk at least three times, oldies at least twice, sports at least twice, R&B and classic hip hop before this latest format. Essentially a dumping ground and on a handful of occasions an AM simulcast of a better-known FM or the AM home for the classic hip hop on translator 105.3 before those two signals broke apart about two years ago.
1,000 watts gives it a decent signal, although WYTS bumps into 1230s in Cincinnati, Toledo and Ironton in different directions on the outer fringe of its signal range.

 

[radioman148]

A reminder for newcomers that this cycle is the formerly designated "regional" channels, along with the commonly designated "graveyard" channels, followed by X-bamd channels.. This week we look at....or listen to....1230.

40 miles northwest of Chicago.......

Days: 1230 here is a fair-weak WCLO from Janesville, Wisconsin....about 55 miles to my northwest. Usually a weaker WJOB from Hammond, Indiana underneath.

Night: Typical graveyard channel mess. Recent catches include KWNO Winona, MN. WXCO Wausau, WI, WFXN, Moline, IL and WJBC, Bloomington, IL. WBHP, Huntsville, AL.

I'm also hearing what may seem to be some sort of het on 1230 at night on all of my radios. Comes and goes. I also heard it, in a weaker version of it last month on the Gulf coast and last weekend in Canada. It sounds more like a rumble or vibration than a typical het. So maybe it's not a het. I don'tt hear anything like it on the other GY channels. Any ideas.

In the near north Chicago suburbs daytime it's WJOB with a fair/decent signal. At night mostly a graveyard mess. Other stations
I've heard, WSAL, WCLO, WXCO, WJBC.

 

[tvnut]

From the southwest suburbs of Chicago:

24/7, it's WJOB Hammond, Ind. Occasionally WJPC Bloomington, Ill. sneaks in at night if I work at it.

 

[Mr Tony]

Mankato, MN

KFSP Mankato Sports 24/7
"The Fan Mankato" (programming from KFXN "K-Fan" Minneapolis) along with Fox Sports Radio
They also carry MSU-Mankato Mavericks football and mens b-ball games

 

[fybush]

Suburban Rochester NY, it's a weak WECK from Cheektowaga/Buffalo NY by day.

 

[CTListener]

Hartland, VT:
WTSV Claremont, NH, simulcasting WEEI-FM Boston most of the time, but using ESPN Radio programming during Red Sox games, which WTSV does not own the rights to in this market. Not very strong but readable, although no one here is likely listening to 1230 since translator W232AP (94.5) covers the area from White River Junction, VT.

Meriden, CT:
WNEZ Manchester, CT, with what Radio-Locator describes as a "Spanish variety" format. I admit I never listened to the station enough to tell what that format might consist of.

These are daytime loggings only. I'm not a serious AM DXer and, I must admit, I've never spent time trying to ID anything in the 1230 dog pile at night.

 

[gr8oldies]

East Tennessee: Really nothing unless WANO in Pineville KY makes it in. Nights are a mess.
Retro/other: Dayton, OH area. Usually WCOL (or whatever its calls and formats were in any particular week, would beat WDBZ. I worked at a 1230 in Logansport, IN that reached Lafayette but mixed with WJOB and WBOW-Terre Haute when it existed and was on in
I was at a friend's house in 1975 in Lancaster, Ohio. My now long-deceased friend had a Drake SPR4 with a loop and pulled WCOL (at 250 watts) out of the muck.

 

[cyberdad]

I must admit, I've never spent time trying to ID anything in the 1230 dog pile at night.

That was me for 50-odd years of DXing until I discovered that I like the change.

DXing the gy channels definitely isn't for everyone. But if you're patient. something sooner or later rises to the top. Hopefully for long enough to ID. I especally liked DXing the gy channels when conditions are less than spectacular as well as sunrise/sunset. When the herd thins a little it becomes easier for something to sneak through, For those here who may be unfamiliar, our friend crainbebo on this board is not only an accomplished FM DXer, but he also gets my vote for """King of graveyard channel DX".

 

[tvnut]

What Cyderdad says is true if you don’t have a local graveyarder. We’re chock full of them in the Chicago area. You really need one of them to be off (1240 WSBC occasionally) to have a good shot at something distant.

 

[schmave]

East Tennessee: Really nothing unless WANO in Pineville KY makes it in. Nights are a mess.
Retro/other: Dayton, OH area. Usually WCOL (or whatever its calls and formats were in any particular week, would beat WDBZ. I worked at a 1230 in Logansport, IN that reached Lafayette but mixed with WJOB and WBOW-Terre Haute when it existed and was on in
I was at a friend's house in 1975 in Lancaster, Ohio. My now long-deceased friend had a Drake SPR4 with a loop and pulled WCOL (at 250 watts) out of the muck.

I occasionally could hear WYTS at night when I lived in Thornville, Ohio, roughly the same distance from downtown Columbus as Lancaster. It is extremely weak that far out, but it's there with a patient ear.
I too have noticed that WYTS/WCOL gets the better of WDBZ even closer to Cincinnati. Heard it first-hand during my stay in suburban Dayton a few months ago and many years ago on 71 near the huge bridge over the Little Miami River. Even there, 35 miles from Cincinnati, WDBZ was listenable but taking its share of co-channel interference.

 

[tvnut]

What Cyderdad says is true if you don’t have a local graveyarder. We’re chock full of them in the Chicago area. You really need one of them to be off (1240 WSBC occasionally) to have a good shot at something distant.

Make that Cyberdad! D'oh!

 

[CentralFL]

15 miles south of Orlando

Daytime WONN - Lakeland. Barely audible with WOTS 1220 splashing it.

Nighttime. Just splash from 1220

 

[schmave]

I occasionally could hear WYTS at night when I lived in Thornville, Ohio, roughly the same distance from downtown Columbus as Lancaster. It is extremely weak that far out, but it's there with a patient ear.
I too have noticed that WYTS/WCOL gets the better of WDBZ even closer to Cincinnati. Heard it first-hand during my stay in suburban Dayton a few months ago and many years ago on 71 near the huge bridge over the Little Miami River. Even there, 35 miles from Cincinnati, WDBZ was listenable but taking its share of co-channel interference.

Correcting myself a bit here since I can't edit. Just checked on the Warren County SDR, which is very close to the Jeremiah Morrow Bridge, and 1230 was pretty much unlistenable much as it is in suburban Dayton. If anything, I heard Columbus better and even that was just a quick "Black Information Network" liner with the two signals walking all over each other.
Makes me wonder exactly where WDBZ begins to win out. Has to be around Kings Island and/or Lebanon.

 

[CADXER]

What Cyderdad says is true if you don’t have a local graveyarder. We’re chock full of them in the Chicago area. You really need one of them to be off (1240 WSBC occasionally) to have a good shot at something distant.

WSBC goes off at midnight and returns at 6 am. Opens up the frequency for DXing. I also find that you can get more DX on the graveyard frequencies during the summer months. Probably because propagation is not as good and there is a much less pile up of signals.

 

[TXPH97]

DFW, Texas

Daytime: KSST Sulphur Springs, TX fair signal with classic oldies. Underneath is KWTX Waco, TX with news/talk.
Nights: Graveyard rumble. I have heard KHAS Hastings, NE, KDRN Del Rio, TX, and KLVT Levelland, TX.

 

[Steve Green NEPA]

WEEX Easton Pa really weak in the day.
Pretty good stuff at night, none of which is regionally or distantly unusual.

* * * * * * *
Retro stuff from we were in our mid- and late teens:
Six of us got togther in the family dining room -- my Folks were in GA for a week -- and with two mikes and one reel-to-reel in use we performed '1230'. Present were three DXers and three non-DXer buddies.
I sent it recently to a DXer from Ohio, who said 'It sounds just like 1230 !'
He rather enjoyed it, amid the language and singing and chants of 'Black Power' from two different 'stations' that merged their programming.

Wow. To have 1/1230th of that energy today, eh ?

 

[kevtronics]

Here in NJ it's hash during the day (from WFAS's digital-only HD Radio signal) and mush at night.

 

[cyberdad]

What Cyderdad says is true if you don’t have a local graveyarder. We’re chock full of them in the Chicago area. You really need one of them to be off (1240 WSBC occasionally) to have a good shot at something distant.

I'm fortunate from the standpoint that my location is far enough from the core of the urban area to not have any of the graveyard channels occupied by a city-grade signal. All six graveyard channels are occupied here. Some by more than one channel, But all of them get swallowed up by the "dogfight" at night. WSBC (1240) and WRJN (1400) are probably the strongest. But that's not saying much, Fair at best.

And CADXER makes a great point in his post. Summer is generally better for graveyard channel DXing. Because, as tvnut originally noted, conditions overall tend to be less optimal than during wintertime. I'd modify that a little by saying that, IME, winter catches are a bit more difficult, given the noise level. But signals from a longer distance are more likely to break through. All part of the fun

......And "cyderdad"??? My daughter is the cider (or cyder) drinker in the family. She acquired the taste when she lived in England. The stuff is pretty popular over there....and I'll admit what they have there isn't half bad....but I think I'll still pass! 🤣

 

[gr8oldies]

Correcting myself a bit here since I can't edit. Just checked on the Warren County SDR, which is very close to the Jeremiah Morrow Bridge, and 1230 was pretty much unlistenable much as it is in suburban Dayton. If anything, I heard Columbus better and even that was just a quick "Black Information Network" liner with the two signals walking all over each other.
Makes me wonder exactly where WDBZ begins to win out. Has to be around Kings Island and/or Lebanon.

You may recall that as top 40 WUBE, even Bill Drake couldn't make that signal work for top 40.