AM Frequency of the Week: 550

[The New Chico]

Bellingham WA

Days KARI Blaine WA Religious 5kW Being right on the border a mix of US and Canadian preahcers of different sorts. I beleive it is brokered. And some very light Christian music to fill.

Nights KARI drops to 2500 watts and goes into a bow-tie pattern- even though I am less than 25 miles away I will get a mix of KOAC Corvallis OR 5kW pointing towards me and KARI.

Notes- Kari must have been a heck of a lady as she had both an AM and an FM named after her back in the 50s/60s (KERI-FM, now KAFE Bellingham) This is apparently a true story- she was a wife of one of the owners. I love stories like this.

KOAC was the original flagship of what is now OPB (Oregon Public Broadcasting.) KOAC stood for Oregon Agricultural College. This is one of those stations celebrating 100 years currently, like many of the early broadcasters. OAC is now Oregon State University. OPB is now a statewide radio and TV network with a bunch of TV outlets for PBS and dozens of stations/translators for the radio network. I also love that KOAC can be said as "Quack" which would connotate the arch rivals of OSU, the U of Oregon Ducks.

But, then, I am easily amused.

 

[Dondd]

For some reason, KTSA San Antonio isn't strong here, northeast side of Austin, TX, night or day. Will check, but think it's like that in my car as well. Always underwhelming for such a low dial position. Every other station that low is usually stronger on my Grundig Yachtboy 400.

Lately, it's been MIA at night or if there, even weaker than their unimpressive daytime signal (and one-sided partisan programming).

Last night, heard country music playing on the signal. Couldn't ID as the station faded before TOH.
Checking the signals, the only country station on that frequency is KRIA in Craig, CO, but that station doesn't have any live stream and no announcements of any type between the 3 songs I heard.

As KTSA is very weak or nonexistent at night, caught a commercial on KTRS-St. Louis with the 314 area code, then a brief ID.
This was a good catch, the first I'd ever caught that station in this area. Very weak and it faded quickly, but a rare opportunity.

Never caught KCRS from Midland, TX, though it's closer than the others.

Here is what's available on the frequency in my region at night:

 

[schmave]

Funny you mention that because I don't remember KTSA being as strong as I expected during my time in Houston, especially on the west side of the metro. Maybe I was inadvertently comparing it to KLVI next door.
You would think it would blast in Austin given the conductivity.
I remember mentioning once years ago that WOAI was not as strong as I expected to hear on some work trips to Austin and was promptly told by a few Austin-area posters that I did not hear what I know I heard. 😄 So to hear another solid San Antonio station underperforms so closeby might lend some credence to my own experience.

 

[MarioMania]

Can we close this thread

Cyerdad had the 3 week rule

Close it after 3 weeks

 

[tvnut]

Nothing new since the last 550 go-round. I've gotten these over the years on 550:

KSD / KUSA / KSD / KTRS St. Louis, the most usual suspect; KTSA San Antonio, only once (I think); and WGR Buffalo when it was on the wrong pattern 12/8/2020.

No thanks to the closing of threads. Better to have one thread per frequency so we see the evolution of it over the years rather than have to search for multiple threads.

 

[Dondd]

Still wanting to capture KCRS Midland here in central TX, day or night, but to no avail.
You would think it would be possible, at least during those times when KTSA is weak or almost non existent (which is often).

I've received KTRS rather strongly, with KFRM very weak and hard to hear, but heard an ID. KTRS comes in more than any other 550 except KTSA.

Have also captured XHEPL from Ciudad Cuautémoc, Chihuahua, which also came in better than KTSA.