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AM Frequency of the week: 680

cyberdad

cyberdad

40-odd (sometimes really odd) miles northwest of downtown Chicago....

Day: All WSCR splatter all the time...complete with iboc.

Night: Same as daytime, but sometimes the iboc gets turned off for a while. Usually after midnight. 680 is still tough even when the noisemaker is turned off. Its a frequency with multiple big night signals...just about all of which are aimed away from me, resulting in what's actually a relatively quiet channel. What that usually means for me is that WCTT from Corbin, KY is the most likely to rise to the top.

Retro/Other location: "Back in the day" KNBR was rare, but occasionally doable in the Chicago area. But I haven't heard KNBR here for at least 25 years. Maybe longer. By the time you got past time you got west of the Mississippi River into Iowa where I was in college in Iowa, KNBR was easier, but still not a regular.

What WAS somewhat regular at my location in southeast Iowa was a weak KFEQ daytime, and frequently a booming (then-) KBAT from San Antonio on day power just after Iowa sunset. In for what was usually about half hour before they powered down and disappeared.
 
In the near north Chicago suburbs--day: nothing but WSCR splatter. At night usually the same thing.

Retro/other: Years ago before 670's IBOC the station I'd usually hear at night was WPTF. Also heard WCTT and once or twice KBAT.
Many years ago on Monday mornings KNBR would come in after then WMAQ signed off.
 
East Tennessee: Day: A weak WCTT, Corbin, KY. Sometimes WPTF after sunrise and before sunset. Occasionally WKAZ
Night: WPTF. I had a one time reception of CFTR, but I assume 680 News was on day pattern.

Retro/other: WKAZ (as WCAW) was a weak daytime regular in Western Ohio. I also got WCTT in Fort Wayne IN.
 
This has become one of the more interesting frequencies in my area. KFEQ used to be a regular at night, but hasn't been regular at all this year. Instead, I've caught CJOB Winnipeg, CFTR Toronto, WMFS Memphis, and WOGO Eau Claire, WI. WPTF Raleigh often blasts in during the early morning pre-dawn hours. I've caught KNBR at various times over the years, but not in the last year. I hear WMFS most often at night. (Nothing on 680 during the daytime.)
 
Nothing bad day except KLTT 670 Denver HD Hash and at night, CJOB Winnipeg and sometimes possibly KNBR San Francisco
 
Yakima WA days - Very weak KOMW Omak WA (Adult Standards/Talk). Sometimes in dead winter, a very weak KNBR San Francisco (Sports) will show up.
Nights - all KNBR, EXCEPT to the east. CJOB Winnipeg MB (News/Talk) is common as dirt nowadays.
Sunset usually brings KBRD Lacey WA (Nostalgia), and KKGR East Helena MT (Classic Hits). 'KGR' is also heard most sunrises.
Once in a great while KKYX San Antonio, TX (Classic Country) will leave 50KW on, and they can be loud when KNBR's nulled. Almost as loud as WOAI.
My GREATEST log on 680, was just this October - HJZO Barranquilla, Colombia (Radio Nacional de Colombia). At 3,630 miles, it's my only South American logging on AM. Totally unexpected even with spectacular conditions towards Asia and Alaska just about every morning. Around 2AM PT on 10/28/18, heard tropical music faintly under KNBR (no sign of CJOB), and followed by the ID.

Wanted
CFTR Toronto (All-News). Been looking for this one forever, to no avail. 740 Toronto comes in at least 1x/week but never the 680.
KBRW Barrow (Full Service). We can dream, OK?! This one is even a toughie on the COAST. Patrick Martin in Seaside OR has only logged them once, and he's gotten the majority of the Alaskan AMs.
 
KFEQ dominates this frequency so I rarely listen there but decided to check it out. Was surprised to hear KKYX in San Antonio booming in at 5:30 p.m. CST when I nulled KFEQ with the ferrite rod loop. A new one for me as I never check this frequency. Thanks for starting the thread cyberdad.
 
Days....KNBR

Nights>>>KNBR. There is nothing underneath this station. This is the cleanest station on the band in my area, and extremely powerful. I wouldn't be surprised if KNBR can be heard {at night} in the Mid western States like Missouri, Mississippi, the Dakota's and Nebraska to name a few.
 
formula72 said:
Days....KNBR

Nights>>>KNBR. There is nothing underneath this station. This is the cleanest station on the band in my area, and extremely powerful. I wouldn't be surprised if KNBR can be heard {at night} in the Mid western States like Missouri, Mississippi, the Dakota's and Nebraska to name a few.
Click to expand...

As mentioned earlier if local WSCR wasn't running IBOC KNBR could be audible in Northern Illinois. They (KNBR) used to be heard here from time to time.
 
Pretty much 24/7 WCBM from Baltimore with their 50,000 watt day/20,000 watt night pointed right at me. I have heard what I believe is Toronto's CFTR murmuring in the background.
 
Daytime - nothing

Nighttime - KNBR usually a good signal

The local on 670 KPUA in Hilo doesn't even interfere with splatter.
 
In Atlanta, WCNN (680 "The Fan") goes 50,000 watts daytime then has to reduce their power at night and direct it south to keep from interfering with Raleigh's WPTF. On a trip last year to Panama City, 680 "The Fan" was actually coming in before sunset.
 
From the far south KC metro:

Day: KFEQ - St. Joseph has a strong and listenable signal in the car. I am 55 miles from their transmitter site.

Critical Hours: KFEQ and I have logged KNBR - San Francisco before the sun sets at my my location.

Night: Typically, KFEQ and KNBR more dominate at times, especially late at night. There are other signals present that I have as yet to ID.

Bob
 
Orange County, TX KKYX San Antonio day & night, albeit a little weaker day part. KFEQ has a listenable signal with KKYX nulled and am able to pick out WCNN occasionally. Would like KNBR.
 
Here in Wood Dale, IL in the near NW suburb of Chicago:

Daytime: WSCR IBOC hash
Nightime: WSCR IBOC hash most of the time

DX/RETRO: prior to WSCR IBOC some DX was possible on this frequency. Since then we just have to hope for WSCR to go off the air on rare occasions or at the very least to turn the IBOC off. Here is a list of my DX catches on this frequency: KKYX (San Antonio, TX), WPTF (Raleigh, NC), WCNN (N. Atlanta, GA), WCTT (Corbin, KY), WKDJ (Memphis, TN), WOGO (Hallie, WI), WDBC (Escanaba, MI), WJIE (Nedwburg, IN), CFTR (Toronto, ON), CJOB (Winnipeg, MB). Never been able to positively ID KNBR.
 
Days here, 8 miles north of Pottsville PA, I sometimes get a faint WCBM Baltimore.
Nights, its an indifferent signal from them. Detectable at night have been WPTF Raleigh and the
aforementioned CFTR.

* * * * * * *

In the good ol' retro days back near JFK Airport (where we all had those good retro radios) I had just 9 logged
on 680 -- all at night ; days there was nothing. The best was KNBR (long before it was 'Theeeee Sports Leader'). I forget their format through the 60's and early 70's. Anyone here know?

Second-best 680 catch from there was WAPA San Juan, but only because of the water-path enhancement.
 
In west Houston, KKYX in San Antonio dominates, one of the strongest out of town signals here. I believe they are directional toward me both day and night. I have heard KFEQ at sunset and a tentative log of WMFS in Memphis.
 
formula72 said:
Days....KNBR

Nights>>>KNBR. There is nothing underneath this station. This is the cleanest station on the band in my area, and extremely powerful. I wouldn't be surprised if KNBR can be heard {at night} in the Mid western States like Missouri, Mississippi, the Dakota's and Nebraska to name a few.
Click to expand...

As most of those on this board know, I traveled in my work for more than 30 years before I retired (and, to a lesser extent, I still travel). What I can tell you is this about KNBR for the states that you mentined....

Missouri: I haven't personally heard KNBR, but I'd guess it would be doable in much of the Central and Western parts of the state once you get out from under KFEQ (5kw directional aimed north-south from St. Joseph). I have heard KNBR multiple times in Iowa.

Mississippi: I've never heard KNBR there. WMFS (Memphis) pretty much owns 680 at night statewide.

Dakotas: Mostly CJOB at night in North Dakota. KFEQ and CJOB in the eastern half of South Dakota. KNBR at least in the west and southwest.

Nebraska: Primarily a "null-able" KFEQ in the east but indeed KNBR west and central.
 
cyberdad said:
As most of those on this board know, I traveled in my work for more than 30 years before I retired (and, to a lesser extent, I still travel). What I can tell you is this about KNBR for the states that you mentined....

Missouri: I haven't personally heard KNBR, but I'd guess it would be doable in much of the Central and Western parts of the state once you get out from under KFEQ (5kw directional aimed north-south from St. Joseph). I have heard KNBR multiple times in Iowa.

Mississippi: I've never heard KNBR there. WMFS (Memphis) pretty much owns 680 at night statewide.

Dakotas: Mostly CJOB at night in North Dakota. KFEQ and CJOB in the eastern half of South Dakota. KNBR at least in the west and southwest.

Nebraska: Primarily a "null-able" KFEQ in the east but indeed KNBR west and central.
Click to expand...


I lived in Mississippi in 2003/2004 and was right in the night pattern, albeit 50 miles away.. and heard KNBR.. once...
 
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