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AM Frequency of the Week: 1580:

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cyberdad

cyberdad

Crystal Lake, Illinois.....

Days: 1580 is basically empty. Occasionally, I'll hear weak, unidentifiable stuff on daytime skywave. But this is pretty rare.

Nights: CKDO from Oshawa, Ontario, 10kw, is usually in with a fair signal and comfortably on top of other signals that are not strong enough to break through. Oshawa is about 40 miles east of Toronto, and best known for a large GM manufacturing plant. CKDO is unique in my experience in that, I've heard them at my home on both 1580 and also on their former frequency, 1350. Both from the same strip of land situated between Lake Ontario and the 401 Freeway. I've driven by it dozens of times, directly on my route between both Toronto-Ottawa and Toronto-Montreal.

Retro: For the most part, I was just out of range of WKKD, a coffeepot on 1580 from Auroa, IL 250 or 500 watts...I forget. The pattern didn't favor me, but occasionally, on clear winter days it would sneak in.

Note: This concludes our series on the former "clear channels". Next week we return to the channels previously known as "regional" and "local", and then finishing with the X-band. We'll begin at 550, and work our way up the dial. So, if you haven't done so recently, check 'those channels out, and get ready to let us know what you're hearing at your location. Should be fun and more than a few surprises!
 
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Pretty much the same results here in the near north Chicago suburbs: daytime nothing really. At night mostly CKDO.
Retro: used to hear WKKD back in the day.
 
Chicago by the lakeshore:

Daytime: WHLY in South Bend, IN can come in, playing Spanish language music. I have also received WTTN in Columbus, WI, but it's rare.

Nighttime: Mainly a jumble. CKDO is the most likely, especially right on the lake, but nothing is really dominant. On other occasions I've gotten WBCP in Urbana, IL, WWCD in Columbus, OH, and WAMW in Washington, IN.
 
Middays in 2022 : Zilch because of the noise, irrespective of the radio used.
Previously it'd been a faint but isolated 'WCOY' from downstate Columbia, many call letter changes ago.

SSS: WPGC from outside D.C. .... WZKY from NC .... WVKO Columbus ..... WDAB SC (taped) .... and a goodie: WLIM 1580 from Patchogue Long Island *

Nights: One eve it was WSHE Fort Lauderdale, rock in those days (only heard once) ..... and the regular was CBJ from Sockittomee Quebec.
The most recent regular-schedule nighttime catch was (blush) CKDO, this time of year two years ago. I may have been the last one on this forum to log it.

* I gained considerable face once at the depot after hearing WLIM Patchogue on the car radio. I called them up to tell them that I was getting them in Pottsville PA and that I used to work at the place when it was WPAC. A few of the crew came outside to listen to the station and gosh-darn if the guy on the air not just remembered me but said hello to me and the others over the air.
 
East Tennessee (Knoxville/Sevierville): Daytime: We're supposed to have a local in daytimer WNPZ, Knoxville, however it has been off the air for several years. Usually, we get a weak WWTF, Lexington KY and occasionally WPGY, Elijay GA.
Daytime and/or Sunset skip: WVKO (now WWCD) is a frequent visitor. WJFK makes it in before sunset.

Night: A jumble with some CKDO.

Retro/other: West Central Ohio: Usually a weak WVKO vs a weak WCNB, Connersville IN, days. WPGC (whatever the calls and format was that week), was usually the first in and last out each winter day. WHLY, South Bend IN was a frequent nighttime catch. I've caught CKDO on several SDRs, and there was some daytime reception on the Tustin, MI rig before they disabled MW.
 
Here in Wood Dale, IL in the near NW suburb of Chicago:

Daytime: usually nothing since 2009 when WKKD Aurora, IL left the frequency. WHLY heard in the past
Nightime: mix of stations, with CKDO usually the dominant one

DX/RETRO: another productive frequency for me with 29 different stations heard, including KAMI (Cozad, NE), KTLU (Rusk, TX, KNIM (Maryville, MO), WBCP (Urbana, IL), WESY (Leland, MS), WLIM (Patchogue, NY), WPGC (Morningside, MD), WSRF (Ft. Lauderdale, FL), XEDM (Hermosillo, Mexico) and Voice of America relay from Antigua in 1981. Retro wise, back in 1980's CBJ, Chicouitimi, Quebec used to be the regular nighttime visitor with French language programming. As for the semi-local WKKD in Aurora, Illinois, they went off the air in 2009, so co-owned WONX (AM 1590) could increase their power. Same applied to WMCW (AM 1600) in Harvard, Illinois.
 
Once again another post jogs my memory. I've never heard most of those from @CADXER's impressive list, but I do recall CBJ as a semi regular at my home location.
 
cyberdad said:
Crystal Lake, Illinois.....

Days: 1580 is basically empty. Occasionally, I'll hear weak, unidentifiable stuff on daytime skywave. But this is pretty rare.

Nights: CKDO from Oshawa, Ontario, 10kw, is usually in with a fair signal and comfortably on top of other signals that are not strong enough to break through. Oshawa is about 40 miles east of Toronto, and best known for a large GM manufacturing plant. CKDO is unique in my experience in that, I've heard them at my home on both 1580 and also on their former frequency, 1350. Both from the same strip of land situated between Lake Ontario and the 401 Freeway. I've driven by it dozens of times, directly on my route between both Toronto-Ottawa and Toronto-Montreal.

Retro: For the most part, I was just out of range of WKKD, a coffeepot on 1580 from Auroa, IL 250 or 500 watts...I forget. The pattern didn't favor me, but occasionally, on clear winter days it would sneak in.

Note: This concludes our series on the former "clear channels". Next week we return to the channels previously known as "regional" and "local", and then finishing with the X-band. We'll begin at 550, and work our way up the dial. So, if you haven't done so recently, check 'those channels out, and get ready to let us know what you're hearing at your location. Should be fun and more than a few surprises!
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Except for the West Coast 1580 at night is essentially empty. In the past 50 kW XEDM Hermosillo, Son was heard throughout the Western US. The station's AM signal was taken off the air in favor of being only an FM station.

Santa Monica/LA's KBLA though, can be heard up the California Coast, and, on occasion, all over the South Pacific!
 
From the southwest suburbs of Chicago:

In the olden days, 250 watt WKKD/WVFR was a regular. It went silent on 11/29/2008.

Heard through the years: WCLS Columbus, Ga.; WAMY Amory, Miss. (so far back it was a Mutual affiliate); WBBA Pittsfield, Ill.; KNIM Maryville, Mo. (those two 250 watt daytimers); CBJ Chicoutimi, Que., WHLY South Bend, Ind., and CKDO Oshawa, Ont., a now-frequent visitor which happens to be coming in right now on the last vestiges of sunrise skip.
 
From NW San Antonio:

Day: A moderately strong KWED in nearby Seguin. A few times I've heard classic hits KGAF in Gainesville, TX, in its null during daytime skywave.

Sunset: KGAF comes up with a fairly good signal at times and fights it out with KWED.

Night: To the NE it's a mix of KWED and KGAF, with neither one strong. Also, there's occasionally some XERF splatter. To the NW, KFCS "El Tigre" in Colorado Springs often can be heard weakly. On rare occasions I'll hear a faint KQFN in Tempe (formerly 50 kW KMIK).

Sunrise: KFCS is stronger. To the NE, KOKB in Blackwell, OK, comes up with a listenable signal for a while. KGAF pops up occasionally, as does KAGE in Van Buren, AR, before KWED goes to day power and takes them out.

DX/Retro: One-time loggings include KLBA (just a week ago) in Santa Monica, CA, and WPMO in Pascagoula, MS. KXZZ in Lake Charles was a nighttime regular before it was retired. Also, another nighttime visitor, KIRT in Mission, TX, appears to be silent right now.
 
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From west Houston, 1580 is a tough frequency due to terrible slop from local 1590 KMIC. During the day, nada. At sunset KWED and KGAF are the regulars. At night KGAF is heard occasionally, but the frequency is generally a mush with nothing identifiable under the slop.

Retro Tulsa in the early 70's, memorable ones included KIRT down in Mission TX (now defunct), WCLS in Georgia, and XEDM in Hermosillo. I seem to recall hearing Chicoutimi Quebec one Monday morning as well.
 
South Mississippi:

Day- 1580 The Game WPMO Pascagoula, MS has a good signal near the coast, 5 kw day/51 w night directional to protect WORV Hattiesburg, MS which has been silent several times over the last few years but is getting a new transmitter to return to the air.
Sunset - WWTF Lexington, KY "WTF 97.9 Lexington's Rock Alternative" can be heard while on 10 kw day power which points south. Sometimes there's WAMY Amory, MS (classic country).
Night - WIOL Columbus, GA "Hits 104.5"
 
I chose 1580 kHz for my AM Stereo Part 15 station because it was the highest clear non-Expanded Band frequency in my area. Unfortunately, not anymore. As of last week, there's a new TIS on 1580 kHz in Metuchen, NJ: WQEL333. For some reason, despite being licensed since 2016, I never heard them until a few days ago. Despite being only 10 watts from about 15 miles away, they're coming in strong enough to limit the range of my signal to about half of what it used to be.
 
kevtronics said:
I chose 1580 kHz for my AM Stereo Part 15 station because it was the highest clear non-Expanded Band frequency in my area. Unfortunately, not anymore. As of last week, there's a new TIS on 1580 kHz in Metuchen, NJ: WQEL333. For some reason, despite being licensed since 2016, I never heard them until a few days ago. Despite being only 10 watts from about 15 miles away, they're coming in strong enough to limit the range of my signal to about half of what it used to be.
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If there's no TIS station on 1610 why not use that?
 
kevtronics said:
I chose 1580 kHz for my AM Stereo Part 15 station because it was the highest clear non-Expanded Band frequency in my area. Unfortunately, not anymore. As of last week, there's a new TIS on 1580 kHz in Metuchen, NJ: WQEL333. For some reason, despite being licensed since 2016, I never heard them until a few days ago. Despite being only 10 watts from about 15 miles away, they're coming in strong enough to limit the range of my signal to about half of what it used to be.
Click to expand...
Which AM stereo system are you using, and how did you get it ?
 
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