AM Frequency of the Week - 1350 kHz

[Buckeyes2001]

What can you all get on 1350 AM?

Here in Vermilion, OH it is a rather fuzzy WARF/Akron, OH days and a jumble at night with nothing really standing out. I've heard a Christian Contemporary station at night before with a call-in request show called "Night Light"

 

[cyberdad]

Far northwest suburbs of Chicago.... 1350 is unusual in that it's mostly empty during the day, and no station routinely rises to the top at night. On a really good radio in a noise-free environment, you might hear a very weak WPDR from Portage, WI....1kw from about 100 miles northwest of me. At night, it's almost like a graveyard channel. Occasionally....but not often....KRNT from Des Moines, or WOAM from Peoria (when it's on) can take over for a few brief moments. I also heard CKDO a couple of times before they moved to 1580.

 

[gr8oldies]

I once worked at a 1350, WCSM in Celina, Ohio, in the late 70s/early 80s. We once ran a DX test and got reports from all over the northeast, including a recording where we were heard faintly with morse code in Akron under then-WSLR.

 

[mimo]

We have a local here on 1350, but during quiet times when the audio is low, you can clearly make out WOYK. Get away from downtown Ottawa, and the local dominates.

 

[Steve Green NEPA]

Daytime here in NE PA:
1350 WOYK York PA.

Spare nighttime listening from 20 years ago here:
WINY (5-25-94) from Putnam CT. (Ahem. 79 watts might not be what they were using).

And WGPL Portsmouth VA 10-31-13 (taped

* * * * * * *

Gr8t story about WCSM's DX test, Gr8tOldies ! I know two DXers who called Akron a DX home and am betting one of them heard the test tones.

Back in the DX days near JFK Airport -- and I don't doubt that considitions are the same way now -- WNLK from across the sound in Norwalk CT was the daytime regular. Yet, one fine day, during one of their frequent 60's MoR radio pauses, in bubbled a 'WINY -- Radiant Radio for the Tri-State Area' ID. Perhaps engineers here can explain more about how WNLK got a license on the same frequency as a 5000-watt omnidirectional station 95 miles away in the same small state.

Overnights, it was that same 1350 Akron coming in, Gr8tOldies, but back then it was WADC. I used to listen a lot overnight Monday mornings, and WAVY from Norfolk was off. It was WADC and * another * MoR pause when a 'W ....EZY' garbled in, from Florida.
My uncle, still then in the Navy, had a pretty decent radio and an oscilloscope in his home's garage/den in Norfolk VA. He hooked it all up to get this pesty kid (me) out of everyone's hair while they played cards. Among other delights I distinctly recall hearing, and watching, and being fascinated by, the local WAVY 1350 being chewed up by other nighttime signals -- in Norfolk, just off Tidewater Drive!
WAVY had several format and call changes over the years. I suspect that their TV affiliate WAVY TV Ten subsidized the AM's signal gaps for a while.

 

[crainbebo]

Maybe a weak KRLC Lewiston, ID sometimes here in Yakima.
Nights it's KRLC and KSRO Santa Rosa, sunsets KTIK Boise, ID. Have not heard anything else on the frequency.

 

[joebtsflk1]

Once upon a time in Iowa, I'd listen to KRNT 1350 in Des Moines which ten or so years ago used to be a pretty dandy locally automated standards station.

In southern Colorado, 1350 is occupied by KCCY in Pueblo, historically was known as KGHF which started way back in the late 20s. After WWII, KGHF evetually raised power to 5kW/1kW DA-N.

Today, it's owned by Clear Channel, over the last seven or eight years, it's been sports, oldies, classic country and now back to sports.

Four years ago, as 1350 lost its lease on its old two tower site, Clear Channel downgraded the signal to 1.3kW/.13kW, ND. diplexed on one of the towers of co-owned KCSJ, 590 in Pueblo. It's still considered class B, given the 128 meter tall radiator, it's got some outstanding efficiency. Here are the former and current sites compared:

old
Freq: 1350 kHz
Class: B
Latitude: 38-16-38 N
Longitude: 104-39-13 W
Power: 5 kW
RMS: 311.44 mV/m @1km


current
Freq: 1350 kHz
Class: B
Latitude: 38-21-28 N
Longitude: 104-38-19.10 W
Power: 1.3 kW
RMS: 423.83 mV/m @1km@1kW

 

[NoMoreLurking]

In southern Colorado, 1350 is occupied by KCCY in Pueblo, historically was known as KGHF which started way back in the late 20s. After WWII, KGHF evetually raised power to 5kW/1kW DA-N. ...Clear Channel downgraded the signal to 1.3kW/.13kW, ND.

I worked at that Pueblo 1350 once upon a time...under call letters not yet mentioned. Always wondered why CC downgraded the facility. When we'd sign off on Monday mornings I could usually get Albuquerque, San Bernardino, Des Moines, New Orleans, or San Antonio on the frequency. Akron a few times. And one lucky morning brought an ID from KTOH, Lihue, HI!

 

[deepstblu]

WHWH Princeton NJ with Spanish-language programming. WOYK comes in under it at night.

 

[RyanHoward]

Warminster PA(Philly 'burbs):

Daytime: WHWH Princeton NJ(weak signal)
Night: mess of stations, including WHWH

 

[Steve Green NEPA]

Although this catch of mine is not present-day PA DX, thanks for the reminder, Ryan.

There were two odd facets to the reception, back in the days near Kennedy Airport.

WHWH came in once, nice and clean for about 12-15 minutes, just as it was getting dark. IIrc they were 5000 watts and directional, generally sending very little toward NYC because of 1350 Norwalk (and perhaps the further-away omni WINY). I never heard them again, in a span that had to be like 14 years.

I'll never forget the second oddity. They cold-segged 'California Sun' into 'Louie Louie'. In that era, I had never heard a cold seg on a station that played pop music.

* * * * * * *

One other faithful Monday morning milepost was the 5:00 sign-on of WORK in York, usually in the clear, above a couple of faintly gurgling others. We'd hear 'em sign on, not with the Star Spangled Banner but with 'Foggy Mountain Breakdown'. From there they'd go into this real early-riser/hootenanny thing called The Buck Benson Show.

 

[cyberdad]

* * * * * * *

One other faithful Monday morning milepost was the 5:00 sign-on of WORK in York, usually in the clear, above a couple of faintly gurgling others. We'd hear 'em sign on, not with the Star Spangled Banner but with 'Foggy Mountain Breakdown'. From there they'd go into this real early-riser/hootenanny thing called The Buck Benson Show.

Reminds me of my first gig in Wisconsin. We'd sign on at 5:30am, and I'd have to alternate polkas and country for the first hour. Every other song. Except for 15 minutes of Garner Ted Armstrong. Great programming that you just can't find any more (fortunately)!

 

[schmave]

In my hometown of Columbus, Ohio, 1350 is basically nothing. Southern parts of the metro area can pick up WCHI out of Chillicothe, but it's not particularly strong by any means.
gr8oldies mentioned WCSM. I have family in St. Marys, Ohio, one town over from WCSM in Celina (my mom told me St. Marys is what the "SM" stands for, is that true?). The AM comes in decently well there daytime 10 miles to the east, with a little slop onto 1360, but it is absolutely gone at night. One look at that 11-watt night pattern shows why. The map is probably a tad generous ...

Day: http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WCSM&service=AM&status=L&hours=D
Night: http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WCSM&service=AM&status=L&hours=N

 

[gr8oldies]

Tis true, WCSM stands for "Celina-St. Marys". At one time we had a marti-equipped St. Marys studio on the square where the late Janie Henderson broadcast from. Nice pattern that goes mostly north and east, nulling Springfield and Cincinnati, Muncie and Kokomo. 144 watts PSA. Was a daytimer when I was there

In my hometown of Columbus, Ohio, 1350 is basically nothing. Southern parts of the metro area can pick up WCHI out of Chillicothe, but it's not particularly strong by any means.
gr8oldies mentioned WCSM. I have family in St. Marys, Ohio, one town over from WCSM in Celina (my mom told me St. Marys is what the "SM" stands for, is that true?). The AM comes in decently well there daytime 10 miles to the east, with a little slop onto 1360, but it is absolutely gone at night. One look at that 11-watt night pattern shows why. The map is probably a tad generous ...

Day: http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WCSM&service=AM&status=L&hours=D
Night: http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WCSM&service=AM&status=L&hours=N

 

[gar hi]

From Tampa -

Daytime - nothing

Nighttime - A huge mix of many stations that make it sound like a graveyard frequency with a Spanish speaking station usually a little above the others being dominant but very weak.

Don't know where it's from.

 

[boombox4]

Here in W. Washington I get the same thing Crainbebo gets at night in E. Washington.

KRLC Lewiston with classic country and Old Time Radio; KSRO Santa Rosa (usually with C2C at night), and on some occasions, I'll hear KTIK Nampa ID with sports.

 

[ContinuousWave]

Once upon a time in Iowa, I'd listen to KRNT 1350 in Des Moines which ten or so years ago used to be a pretty dandy locally automated standards station.

In southern Colorado, 1350 is occupied by KCCY in Pueblo, historically was known as KGHF which started way back in the late 20s. After WWII, KGHF evetually raised power to 5kW/1kW DA-N.

Today, it's owned by Clear Channel, over the last seven or eight years, it's been sports, oldies, classic country and now back to sports.

Four years ago, as 1350 lost its lease on its old two tower site, Clear Channel downgraded the signal to 1.3kW/.13kW, ND. diplexed on one of the towers of co-owned KCSJ, 590 in Pueblo. It's still considered class B, given the 128 meter tall radiator, it's got some outstanding efficiency. Here are the former and current sites compared:

Actually, its a Class B because of it's NIGHT radiation....usually any AM station under 250w at night is Class D...BUT Part 73.21(2) states under Class B: "if less than 0.25 kW, an equivalent RMS antenna field of at least 141 mV/m at 1 km"..KCCY has 164.15mV/m at the 150w night power so it qualifies for Class B...