AM Frequency of the week: 900

[cyberdad]

Let's go back to the middle of the dial. What are you guys hearing on 900?

Here in the far northwest suburbs of Chicago daytime it's splatter from WLS. Being that their tower is over 50 miles away from me, WLS is fairly easy to null, but the channel is still blank.

At night, with WLS nulled, 900 is typically a mix of several signals, usually unidentifiable. CHML sometimes rises to the top, but not very often. XEW...at least in the past...used to be more frequent. But never as strong or reliable as might be expected from the brute force of 250kw.

 

[purpledevil]

Daytime is KREH Pecan Grove, Texas 5kW days. It airs Radio Saigon, which as you might've guessed is Vietnamese programming. At night, it drops to .01kW rendering it a victim to XEW Mexico City D.F. pretty much nightly. If you're inclined to stay up late night on a Sunday, W Radio plays all English songs. Mostly just the bigger American Top 40 hits, but they are all unedited and uncut, and Radiohead's "Creep" is in the regular rotation. Not something you'll typically hear from this side of the border.

 

[crainbebo]

900 is a faint KKRT Wenatchee (ESPN) in the daytime.
Nights, I usually hear CKBI Prince Albert, SK (Country) mixing with KBIF Fresno (South Asian). Have heard XEW Mexico City, CHML Hamilton, ON and the Radio Progreso in Cuba on this frequency as well.

Most wanted on 900 is KALI West Covina. KTIS Minneapolis is also on that list, especially early mornings when they fire up the 50KW transmitter.

-crainbebo

 

[radioman148]

Near north Chicago suburbs it's light splatter from WLS during the day. I haven't listened at night lately, but most often it was CHML. Back in the day XEW was a frequent visitor.

 

[Icangelp]

Days, it's WFIA Louisville. Weak.

Nights, it's usually CHML, which throws as small spike my way. Cuba is there also.

I've heard several others during drive-time mornings and evenings.

Very seldom, XEW.

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

Springfield, IL daytime: Usually a barely perceptible signal from KFAL Fulton, MO if you have a good car radio and away from interfering agents.

 

[joebtsflk1]

I remember CHML in the Twin Cities in the 90s...they have a nice secondary back lobe that points at Minnesota.

 

[mimo]

CHML is the more dominant station here in Ottawa, but nowhere near as strong as it is if you were in Pennsylvania. Sometimes I get XEW, and every once in a while, Cuba. When I lived in Toronto, it was quite easy to hear XEW at night driving around. In southeast Iowa, XEW was a lot more dominant, but sometimes CHML would come in and sometimes CKBI Prince Albert.

 

[gar hi]

Daytime - Nothing (at least nothing can be heard with all the interference in my place)

Nighttime - KMVI Maui

 

[cyberdad]

I remember CHML in the Twin Cities in the 90s...they have a nice secondary back lobe that points at Minnesota.

in the 80s and 90s when I was traveling to the Twin Cities every couple of months, CHML was a very reliable regular. For that matter, so was CHAM (820)....under WCCO splatter and mixing with WBAP (which was stronger).

 

[jim-satx]

Daytime it's a weak KREH. At sunset, it gets taken out by XEOK in Monterrey, which then gets to fight it out with XEW.

At night XEW dominates, although XEOK can still be heard in its partial null. Also, XEDT "Hits FM" in Ciudad Cuauhtemóc occasionally pops up in the background. As cyberdad noted, I'm surprised that XEW isn't a lot stronger.

I've yet to hear any English language stations on this frequency.

 

[RyanHoward]

Warminster PA(Philly 'burbs):

Daytime: local WURD from Philly(eligious talk)
Night: CHML Hamilton ON(WURD is on air at night, but apparently is very low power then to protect CHML)

 

[cyberdad]

Warminster PA(Philly 'burbs):

Daytime: local WURD from Philly(eligious talk)
Night: CHML Hamilton ON(WURD is on air at night, but apparently is very low power then to protect CHML)

According to Radio-Locator, WURD drops from 1kw day (null to the south) to 105 watts non-directional at night.

 

[Schroedingers Cat]

According to databases, WURD is directional at night, with a different pattern. The pattern is roughly elliptical, with the longer axis near East and West.

 

[Steve Green NEPA]

It's a weak but pretty steady 'The WURD' here in the day, despite the stingy power they send this way.
At night, and even well into post SRS, CHML may just be a car button for some folks around here.

* * * * * * *

Back in the DXing days near JFK Airport we used to fool around with one of those Lafayette Part XV transmitters, us settling on 900 for our station. That was back when CHML used to be only 5000 watts at night.
Some friends from the old block were arriving for a visit to here in NE PA. So I got out the mixer and the radio one morning at 6:00 and came up with a :45 minute DX/air check of '900'. As background QRM it featured things like the live CHML, plus part of a hockey game and other improbable reception, like Radio Rumbos, WLS splash, a fire-and-brimstone preacher, and, of course, our mythical 'WQAN'.
Naturally, each break by our morning man Hugh Heavy conveniently faded up to be readable at the suitable DX moment. Then the other 'stations' would rise back into the forefront while Hugh Heavy was playing these ghastly, thudding heavy-metal songs to wake up 'Mom' and urge her -- threaten her --to put on the morning coffee.
I have it on a sound file somewhere here. As soon as I can figure out this new Windows 7 computer: If anyone wants a CD of it, I'll do my best. Serious DXers only. Return postage and a signed waiver exonerating me from any subsequent mental damage will be required.