AM Frequency of the week: 720

[jim-satx]

From NW San Antonio:

Day: It's local 10 kW Spanish-language KSAH which is actually in Universal City, 26 miles east of me.

Sunset: To the NE/SW there's a partial null in which XEDE in Arteaga, Coahuila, comes up weakly and occasionally WGN mixes in.

Night: KSAH drops to 890 watts, and XEDE has a stronger signal in the null that's fairly listenable at times. WGN occasionally pops up but is only rarely dominant. There's sometimes a bit of splatter from 730 XEX.

Sunrise: XEDE is weaker and barely there when KSAH goes to day power.

DX/Retro: Back in January 2019, I logged KDWN one night and XEJCC the next morning while KSAH was off the air briefly.

 

[formula72]

San Jose California

Days.......Nothing

Nights....KDWN out of Las Vegas, with WGN fighting its way through.

 

[asugeorge1]

San Jose California

Days.......Nothing

Nights....KDWN out of Las Vegas, with WGN fighting its way through.

I think the recent events of 720 AM on the West Coast is a prime example of how, after decades of being overpowered by KDWN, WGN has started to become a DX catch once again like in days past on the West Coast. This is all because KDWN did a drastic decrease in their nighttime power from 50,000 watts nighttime to just 7,500 watts. Now if KDWN would go off completely at night, it would be like the old days all over again since there really isn’t another AM 720 in close proximity to interfere with WGN making it out to the West Coast (except for KOTZ all the way up in Kotzebue, Alaska). I am shocked that there is not even one single station in Canada on 720 AM!

 

[cyberdad]

I think the recent events of 720 AM on the West Coast is a prime example of how, after decades of being overpowered by KDWN, WGN has started to become a DX catch once again like in days past on the West Coast.

Yes, amd WGN also has been the beneficiary of the Cubans removing one of their blowtorches from 720. These two events would have been a much bigger deal if they had happened in the earlier days of radio. Bbut at least its a nice little nugget of good news for DXers.

 

[radioman148]

I think the recent events of 720 AM on the West Coast is a prime example of how, after decades of being overpowered by KDWN, WGN has started to become a DX catch once again like in days past on the West Coast. This is all because KDWN did a drastic decrease in their nighttime power from 50,000 watts nighttime to just 7,500 watts. Now if KDWN would go off completely at night, it would be like the old days all over again since there really isn’t another AM 720 in close proximity to interfere with WGN making it out to the West Coast (except for KOTZ all the way up in Kotzebue, Alaska). I am shocked that there is not even one single station in Canada on 720 AM!

I rarely hear KDWN on the Hawaii SDRs anymore. It's usually WGN or nothing.

 

[MarioMania]

Carmichael, CA

Day: Splatter from Local KFIA
Night: Splatter from KFIA, Weak KDWN

Why did KDWN Power Down to 7,500 watts?

 

[MarioMania]

Why did KDWN Power Down to 7,500 watts?

I just asked a simple question

 

[ente]

Why did KDWN Power Down to 7,500 watts?

I just asked a simple question

KDWN caused interference to WGN when it had 50 kw at night. They do not need so much power at night now that most of the Las Vegas area can hear their FM translator on 101.5. Since few people listen to the night skywave signal, they can save power and reduce stress on their transmitter. Stations do not benefit from listening outside of the market as they do not contribute to ratings.

 

[davideduardo]

Why did KDWN Power Down to 7,500 watts?

I just asked a simple question

The power is not needed to cover the market, and the surrounding areas are sparsely populated and offer no advantage to advertisers.

They have moved from around Henderson to just off the Interstate to the NE of the metro, and the new day and night power is more than enough. Saves money, and 50 kw was never necessary.

 

[MarioMania]

KDWN caused interference to WGN when it had 50 kw at night. They do not need so much power at night now that most of the Las Vegas area can hear their FM translator on 101.5. Since few people listen to the night skywave signal, they can save power and reduce stress on their transmitter. Stations do not benefit from listening outside of the market as they do not contribute to ratings.

The power is not needed to cover the market, and the surrounding areas are sparsely populated and offer no advantage to advertisers.

They have moved from around Henderson to just off the Interstate to the NE of the metro, and the new day and night power is more than enough. Saves money, and 50 kw was never necessary.

Oh ok, Thanks for the Info

 

[Schroedingers Cat]

I can tell you for a fact that if a major company wants to stop a competing or otherwise unwanted facility from being built, they can find all kinds of ways, and use so called "expert witnesses" to lie though their teeth and use "precedents" in ways they were never intended to be used, to prevent new stations and upgrades from being built. NIMBYs are often used as surrogates if that's what it takes to stop something. That said, the whole clear channel reception and interference situation is a total mess now, and it may be too late to go back and fix.

 

[ContinuousWave]

I can count on one hand the number of times I heard WGN when I lived in suburban Houston. Each was during the "winter," or at least the cooler months, from October until maybe March. Felt like I was just a bit too far south, maybe by 100 or 200 miles if that, to hear many stations I take for granted in the Midwest.

When I DJed on BPT stations like 560 KLVI and 1450 KAYC in the 70s, WLS BOOMED in at night,used JRLs bits a bunch. Can't say about WGN then as I never listened to it. Now WLS is usually covered by co channel but WGN does make it to NOLA where I live now..its rough though....must be close to a skywave reflection spot...it can phase in and out at times

 

[DXBob]

I remember back in the 60s, KAAY in Little Rock used to run this station ID at midnight:

"From the tundra of the Arctic Circle to the jungles of Central America, this is KAAY, Little Rock, Arkansas."

While this was a bit of "puffery," it was highly effective in making a strong impression with the listener.

Bob

 

[radioman148]

When I DJed on BPT stations like 560 KLVI and 1450 KAYC in the 70s, WLS BOOMED in at night,used JRLs bits a bunch. Can't say about WGN then as I never listened to it. Now WLS is usually covered by co channel but WGN does make it to NOLA where I live now..its rough though....must be close to a skywave reflection spot...it can phase in and out at times

WLS used to blast into New Orleans at night in the 60s and 70s, but Cuba does a number on it now.

 

[schmave]

When I DJed on BPT stations like 560 KLVI and 1450 KAYC in the 70s, WLS BOOMED in at night,used JRLs bits a bunch. Can't say about WGN then as I never listened to it. Now WLS is usually covered by co channel but WGN does make it to NOLA where I live now..its rough though....must be close to a skywave reflection spot...it can phase in and out at times

I probably heard WLS a few more times than WGN. Neither happened all that often and that far south, neither were strong. Nothing remotely close to what I'm used to here in Ohio.
I never got a chance to DX from north of Houston but I imagine it was dramatically different than where I lived, both because of being farther north and because Houston AMs shoot the vast majority of their power toward the Gulf.

 

[cyberdad]

I remember back in the 60s, KAAY in Little Rock used to run this station ID at midnight:

"From the tundra of the Arctic Circle to the jungles of Central America, this is KAAY, Little Rock, Arkansas."
Bob

Hah! I remember hearing that one!

 

[cyberdad]

I can tell you for a fact that if a major company wants to stop a competing or otherwise unwanted facility from being built, they can find all kinds of ways, and use so called "expert witnesses" to lie though their teeth and use "precedents" in ways they were never intended to be used, to prevent new stations and upgrades from being built. NIMBYs are often used as surrogates if that's what it takes to stop something. That said, the whole clear channel reception and interference situation is a total mess now, and it may be too late to go back and fix.

I know of one such example here in the Midwest. I heard this story nearly fifty years ago, so I'm a little fuzzy on details, but here's the gist of it......

At some point after World War II, someone figured out that 580KHZ would work in Minneapolis-St. Paul for a full-powered signal. One local broadcaster got wind that some would be competitors were looking to apply for and set up shop on that channel. How to stop them? Apply for and launch a 5kw directional station on 580 in LaCrosse, WI. 125 miles south-southeast and clearly audible in the Twin Cities. At least in the daytime. before going to (then) 1kw night power.

Viola! roblem solved!

 

[fybush]

The power is not needed to cover the market, and the surrounding areas are sparsely populated and offer no advantage to advertisers.

They have moved from around Henderson to just off the Interstate to the NE of the metro, and the new day and night power is more than enough. Saves money, and 50 kw was never necessary.

KDWN's downgrade was all about land values. Its old site in Henderson was empty desert in 1975 but was surrounded by new housing developments 40 years later.

Beasley was offered much more for the land than the station itself was worth, so they took the offer and diplexed KDWN where they could, which turned out to be the KXST 1140 site up in North Las Vegas.

They'd have gladly run 50 kW from up there, too, but the configuration of the towers and the needed protections to not only WGN but also several signals on 710 forced the limitation to 7500 watts at night.

 

[bulwnkl]

I e tried and tried, but what I get just west of Phoenix is bleed-over from KBMB during the day. At night I usually get the same, but can sometimes get KDWN.

 

[Schroedingers Cat]

KDWN's downgrade was all about land values. Its old site in Henderson was empty desert in 1975 but was surrounded by new housing developments 40 years later.

Beasley was offered much more for the land than the station itself was worth, so they took the offer and diplexed KDWN where they could, which turned out to be the KXST 1140 site up in North Las Vegas.

They'd have gladly run 50 kW from up there, too, but the configuration of the towers and the needed protections to not only WGN but also several signals on 710 forced the limitation to 7500 watts at night.

There are proposed changes under consideration which would eliminate Night protection to first adjacent channels, as it used to be before the 1980s, and as it has been under the Agreement between the US and Canada. David may know more about the Agreement between the US and Mexico, but I suspect it is the same as with Canada. Many stations are marking time until these changes take effect to upgrade. The idea behind the Ratchet Clause and stricter first adjacent groundwave and skywave protection has done almost nothing to improve things, and has prevented a lot of stations from meaningfully upgrading facilities. There are stations that have been marking time waiting for these changes. They were often forced to DOWNGRADE facilities when they had to or wanted to move to a new transmitter location, or go to large numbers of towers to do it. Other stations have found that it is economically unfeasible to use 50 kW and are downgrading. This is often done after getting FM translators with no more than 250 watts, and are displacable as Class D facilities or interference complaints. Without station status or an expanded band for replacement stations, this is not a long term solution.