I was amazed at WKRC's signal on the Tustin SDR one night last week. WKRC and WTVN both were blasting in.
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AM Frequency of the Week: 550
- Thread starter cyberdad
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I was amazed at WKRC's signal on the Tustin SDR one night last week. WKRC and WTVN both were blasting in.
Not much during the day here in eastern Iowa. Nighttime, usually WSAU with a hint of what's probably KTRS. KTRS used to be a nighttime regular here years ago, but seems to have diminished in the last few years. I did pick up WGR one night recently.
550 is an indifferent collective freq here in NE PA, mostly because of the indifferent 'mea culpa' DXer typing this.
Daytimes .... nothing., since semi-local WHLM Bloomsburg left the air at least 15 years ago. They were an oddly early AM exit / casualty considering their full-time status and great frequency. They were just 1000 watts full-time but had nice coverage, even low but steady into Queens NYC daily despite local WMCA 570's racket. WHLM had four sticks in a row near the intersection of I-80 and US 11.
One SSS here it was a nice, tape-able WSVA from Virginia.
Nighttimes I've found WGR Buffalo to be the main signal.
* * * * * * *
There HAD been a construction permit, maybe 10-12 years ago (?), for a new station on 550 from the gorgeous Greenwood Lake NY / NJ. The lake and even the access roads to that place have to be one of the loveliest expanses of real estate I ever saw. I'd've commuted there daily to work at it, irrespective of format. Never heard about the CP again. I can't even remember if it was for full-time or daytime-only.
An even more, earlier retro memory was back in the Queens days. Some night about 1 AM, KSD was coming in solid. Perhaps they were on their day pattern.
I've never IDed WKRC Cincinnati, though, either here in PA or back in Queens. Booger !!!
Daytimes .... nothing., since semi-local WHLM Bloomsburg left the air at least 15 years ago. They were an oddly early AM exit / casualty considering their full-time status and great frequency. They were just 1000 watts full-time but had nice coverage, even low but steady into Queens NYC daily despite local WMCA 570's racket. WHLM had four sticks in a row near the intersection of I-80 and US 11.
One SSS here it was a nice, tape-able WSVA from Virginia.
Nighttimes I've found WGR Buffalo to be the main signal.
* * * * * * *
There HAD been a construction permit, maybe 10-12 years ago (?), for a new station on 550 from the gorgeous Greenwood Lake NY / NJ. The lake and even the access roads to that place have to be one of the loveliest expanses of real estate I ever saw. I'd've commuted there daily to work at it, irrespective of format. Never heard about the CP again. I can't even remember if it was for full-time or daytime-only.
An even more, earlier retro memory was back in the Queens days. Some night about 1 AM, KSD was coming in solid. Perhaps they were on their day pattern.
I've never IDed WKRC Cincinnati, though, either here in PA or back in Queens. Booger !!!
The back roads shortcut I take from here to Lake Geneva is wide open for just about the entire route. I'm looking forward to checking out 550 on the other side of the state line and hearing whatever is there. I lived in Lake Geneva for several months in the mid '70s. I don't remember hearing WSAU there, but then again, I don't think I had a decent radio to try with. Also, WIND got out better during those days, and WSAU was at 5kw...and a null to the south and southeast.
Several mentions of WGR here. I know others here in the Chicago area have heard it, but off the top of my head, I can't recall it.
What I CAN say from my business trips is that WGR trips a car scan button 24/7 in Toronto, and is usually audible daytime in Cleveland and Detroit (sometimes requiring WKRC to be nulled).
In west Houston, 550 is dominated by KTSA day and night. At sunset and at night, I can usually hear KTRS in their null. I've heard XEPL at sunrise. I've tried and failed to ID KCRS (surprising) or anything else on the frequency.
It's not going to blast in, but if you're in the right spot you can hear it "underneath" KTRS. Good luck!
Possible AM pirate?
Interesting. There's no 550 licensed to Louisiana or Mississippi that I can find.
Part 15, more or less?
I wonder how much power they're running?
Interesting.
550 was the former home to WASG from Atmore, Alabama, 5kw IIRC. Several years they moved the COL to Daphne, AL and changed frequency to 540. While the COL is Daphne, the transmitter location was changed to the a site on the northern city limits of Mobile. Daytime power was chaanged to 2.5kw. I can see where the net result of all this would be conducive to someone wanting to launch a pirate station in the area Ente's location.
When I was at Perdido Key on the Gulf last month, I wasn't hearing anything on 550, while WASG on 540 had what I would describe as a fair signal. Only slightly stronger that what I remember from when they were broadcasting from Atmore, which is about 30 miles northeast of where their stick is now.
550 is the lowest clear frequency as 530 Radio Enciclopedia gets inland about 5-10 miles in the daytime, and WASG could also interfere. Even though they need a bigger antenna for the bottom of the band, the low frequency makes up a bit for the poor ground conductivity. 550 has been heard in Mandeville and the Pass Christian WebSDR (when it was online), so it's probably located near Slidell, LA.
I plan to be back in the area....including a stop near Mandeville.....in June. If that mystery station is still operating, I'll certainly be on the lookout for it!
Re KTSA:
I usually tune into TopShelf Oldies a few nights a week for some chat and really fine music.
One night after his live-show sign off at 11, the fellow in charge of the whole station did a test broadcast of sorts, instead of running their automated overnight fare. He asked a few of the remaining chatters to check out some fidelity and other sonic issues, as a favor. There were a few DXers still in chat.
Through the ensuing :20 minutes or so, we heard some 45 records, mP3's, left-channel / right channel stuff, etc.
Two times there was audio from KTSA! They were playing their usual cowboy songs. Regular schedule stuff.
Now Tim is the heavy hot dog at Top Shelf Oldies. But he dioes his show and anchors the station from San Diego!
To this day, no one has figured out how KTSA wound up on internet Top Shelf Oldies.
I usually tune into TopShelf Oldies a few nights a week for some chat and really fine music.
One night after his live-show sign off at 11, the fellow in charge of the whole station did a test broadcast of sorts, instead of running their automated overnight fare. He asked a few of the remaining chatters to check out some fidelity and other sonic issues, as a favor. There were a few DXers still in chat.
Through the ensuing :20 minutes or so, we heard some 45 records, mP3's, left-channel / right channel stuff, etc.
Two times there was audio from KTSA! They were playing their usual cowboy songs. Regular schedule stuff.
Now Tim is the heavy hot dog at Top Shelf Oldies. But he dioes his show and anchors the station from San Diego!
To this day, no one has figured out how KTSA wound up on internet Top Shelf Oldies.
Did I read somewhere that there are people who have set up networks of maximum legal Part 15 stations to serve a wider area?
Reportedly, Schroed, some fellow on Staten Island NY arranged to've set up six or seven LPFM's, once more 'supppsedly' arranged for a listenable string, unbroken off a car radio, for a mile or two. Lost to my memory was if it was an AM or an FM setup.
Also lost to time is whether that Staten Island media empire setup still exists.
I know of at least one STANDALONE signal on AM getting out 5 miles -- again, 'reputably' in the legal sense, once more 'within the rules'.
Some fellow named R.Fry knows all about things like this, and whatever legal cracks can be fallen through. His name and charts and aerial photography show up quite often in chat. Try the Used Equipment / Buy or Sell chapter of this here Radio Discussions.
Also lost to time is whether that Staten Island media empire setup still exists.
I know of at least one STANDALONE signal on AM getting out 5 miles -- again, 'reputably' in the legal sense, once more 'within the rules'.
Some fellow named R.Fry knows all about things like this, and whatever legal cracks can be fallen through. His name and charts and aerial photography show up quite often in chat. Try the Used Equipment / Buy or Sell chapter of this here Radio Discussions.
San Jose, California..
Days:: Nothing
Nights:: I get two 5Kw stations, both weak. KOAC out of Corvallis, Oregon, and KUZZ out Bakersfield, California. Both very weak right now, but stronger in the winter months. Signal received, depends on what direction I point the radio.
Days:: Nothing
Nights:: I get two 5Kw stations, both weak. KOAC out of Corvallis, Oregon, and KUZZ out Bakersfield, California. Both very weak right now, but stronger in the winter months. Signal received, depends on what direction I point the radio.
Below is an analysis of about the best performance that can be expected from a single, unlicensed transmit site using the AM broadcast band that legally meets 47 U.S. CFR Part 15.219(b) — which authorizes such operation from setups meeting FCC Rules for them.
FCC Rules for such stations do not permit their operation together in a "coordinated" (synchronized) mode, so as to increase the reception area beyond that possible from a single, legal, unlicensed transmit site.
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