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AM Frequency of the Week: 920

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cyberdad

cyberdad

Crystal Lake, IL.......

Days: A very weak WOKY (Milwaukee). Sometimes am even weaker WBAA (Lafayette, IN) underneath. WOKY is a classic case of a signal degrading due to urban development, combined with possible neglect of the transmitter facility. What used to be comfortable now is barely audible. A 5kw directional signal that used to make it all the way to the Mississippi River, is now pretty much absent there. On the good end, WOKY is still pretty good for about 100 miles to the north and for about 50 miles along the Lake Michigan shoreline of the Michigan Lower peninsula.

NightsL As I alluded to last week in another thread, WOKY has actually become quite rare here at nigt on 1kw. CFRY from the Winnipeg area owns the channel most nights. With WBAA most likely to surface during fades. KYFR from Shenandoah has been known to sneak in, as has KDHL from south of the Minnesota Twin Cities.

Retro: During it's Top 40 days, owbed by the Bartell family, in the '60s and '70s, WOKY was a regular go-to for me. Day signal was weak, but comfortably listenable. At night, the signal was actually stronger at my location because the 1kw night pattern sent a sm narrow spike in my direction. Usually alone, but CKCY from Saint Sault Marie, ON was an occasional pest. At my college location in southeast Iowa, CKCY was on top more often than not. I only heard WOKY a handful of times. Usually on Monday mornings.
 
In the near north Chicago area daytime: mostly WBAA with a fair to weak signal. WOKY is practically impossible at my location At night: I've heard WBAA, CFRY, and KYFR a few times. I've heard KARN Little Rock a couple of times.

Retro: Back during it's Top 40 days I used to try for WOKY, but could rarely hear it here. They do not send much signal towards me.
 
Chicago by the lakeshore:

WBAA in Lafayette IN can come in pretty weakly during the day. I didn't even know WOKY existed until reading the earlier responses, so it probably doesn't come in too well here.

Nighttime: I've heard CKNX in Wingham, ON and CFRY near Winnipeg. I recently moved into a highrise apartment facing Lake Michigan and I think CKNX is the one that shows up consistently now. But alas I haven't been listening too much lately so I can't be sure...
 
East Tennessee: (Knoxville/Sevierville). Days-Near the WSEV transmitter, not much, but occasionally WGKA with some daytime skip. Night----usually a jumble
Retro/other: Dayton, Ohio and my home town in West Central Ohio, was a mix of WBAA and WMNI (Columbus). Night often brought in WMMN, Fairmont, WV, which in the 80s was easy to identify by constant use of the city's name. "We're having a hot day, Fairmont""We've got your favorite music, Fairmont" "Your news is coming up, Fairmont". I also heard this station "like a local" while driving through town, Fairmont!

Lafayette, IN area: WBAA, of course was a local, but I nulled it for WOKY once.
I received WBAA along with WOKY on the Tustin, MI SDR before the owner filtered out the medium wave band. During my pre-teen vacations in Fremont, MI, WOKY was one of my daytime top 40 stations, with not a perfect signal, but not bad.
 
My semi-local KYST is strong here day and night. Starting at sunset I can null them and receive KARN at sometimes equivalent strength to KYST. I've also heard KYFR sometimes at night. That's pretty much it for me on this frequency.
 
Here in Wood Dale, IL (near NW suburb of Chicago):

Daytime: both WOKY and WBAA can be received at my location using a loop antenna
Nightime: CFRY with country music a frequent visitor

DX/Retro: besides WOKY, WBAA and CFRY other catches include KDHL (Faribault, MN), KARN (Little Rock, AR), KYST (Texas City, TX), KLMR (Lamar, CO), WGHQ (Kingston, NY), WMMN (Fairmont, WV), WMPL (Hancock, MI), KYFR (Shenadoah, IA), as well as a bunch of Canadians (CBO - Ottawa), ON, CKCY (Sault Ste Maria, ON), CFLS (Levis, PQ, CKNX (Wingham, ON). Most recent DX on this frequency are are WGKA (Atlanta, GA) and WLIV (Livingstyon, TN) in 2021.
 
radioman148 said:
Retro: Back during it's Top 40 days I used to try for WOKY, but could rarely hear it here. They do not send much signal towards me.
Click to expand...
Welcome to WOKY's null directed at WBAA 24/7.

When I got back home from my junior year of high school in the summer of 1965, WOKY had just completed its daytime signal upgrade to 5kw directional from 1kw, there was abolutely no significant difference in the signal where I was in Wauconda (10 miles east of where I am now). I'm not sure whether the day signal was directional or not, but then as now. You could hear the positive effect of the southwest lobe of the nighttime pattern just as soon as they went to the nightime DA.
 
From the southwest suburbs of Chicago:

Day: WBAA West Lafayette, Ind., is steady and strong enough for listening once the radio is aligned correctly. Nights, well ...

Night: WBAA rises to the top occasionally with its 1 kW aimed northeast and thus away from me. Others heard at night over the decades include WOKY Milwaukee (rarely, as opposed to my north suburban friends), CKCY Sault St. Marie, Ont., WGST Atlanta, WMNI Columbus, Ohio, CBO Ottawa, KARN Little Rock, Ark., and the most recent catch, CKNX Wingham, Ont., likely at 10 kW in the middle of a cool December night.
 
cyberdad said:
Welcome to WOKY's null directed at WBAA 24/7.

When I got back home from my junior year of high school in the summer of 1965, WOKY had just completed its daytime signal upgrade to 5kw directional from 1kw, there was abolutely no significant difference in the signal where I was in Wauconda (10 miles east of where I am now). I'm not sure whether the day signal was directional or not, but then as now. You could hear the positive effect of the southwest lobe of the nighttime pattern just as soon as they went to the nightime DA.
Click to expand...
I remember the signal upgrade in 1965, but it didn't make any difference for me.
 
Mostly, 920 has been a pretty good daytime-and-sunset arcade game for me since moving out here 20+ years ago.

WKVA from semi / semi-local WKVA Lewistown, taped ID for some reason.
SSS's : WSTK from MD, WKRT Cortland NY, WBBB from NC, WIRD Lake Placid NY, and a real goodie -- the signal-challenged WGHQ Kingston NY, taped.

Last time I checked at night, CHNX was atop.
 
tvnut said:
Others heard at night over the decades include WOKY Milwaukee (rarely, as opposed to my north suburban friends), CKCY Sault St. Marie, Ont., WGST Atlanta, WMNI Columbus, Ohio, CBO Ottawa, KARN Little Rock, Ark., and the most recent catch, CKNX Wingham, Ont., likely at 10 kW in the middle of a cool December night.
Click to expand...
Funny how things work out. Others on our board have heard a couple of these, if not more. Aside from CKCY, which used to be a regular pest for me before their move to FM, the only one of these that I've heard at my location has been KARN. Once! CKNX has been one that I've wanted for quite a long time. And I may have actually heard it a couple of times, but I haven't been able to positively ID it.

Location, location, location!
 
From NW San Antonio:

Day: Heavy slop from local 930 KLUP.

Night: The slop is reduced a bit when KLUP goes to night power, but filtering/off-tuning is still needed to hear anything decently. KYST in Texas City and sports station KQBU in El Paso are most common. KFLB "Family Life Radio" in Odessa and XERE "La Comadre" in Salvatierra occasionally pop up. Every now and then, KARN and KYFR will show up briefly.

Sunrise: KLMR in Lamar, CO, sometimes mixes in weakly. XERE is stronger for a bit when it goes to day power. Later, XELT "Radio Maria" in Guadalajara can be heard with morning prayers when it goes to day power.

DX/Retro: I've heard KSVA "Life Talk Radio" in Albuquerque twice at sunrise. Also, I used to hear XEQD in Chihuahua occasionally at sunrise before it was retired.
 
DFW, Texas

Daytime: Slop from local 910-KATH.
Nights: KARN Little Rock is dominant with sports. KYFR Shenandoah, IA can usually be heard with Family Radio. Less frequently heard is KYST Texas City in Spanish.
 
Central Kansas:
Have received KYFR/Shenandoah before, though it’s not a local frequency, as KINA/Salina exists next door. KLMR/Lamar is too far to receive.

North Iowa:
Daytime, it’s KDHL/Faribault as opposed to KYFR. Nighttime, I’ve not been sure.
 
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