Anyone been hearing WZFG 1100 from the Fargo area the last couple of nights?

[radioman148]

Too much lightning to be able to do any decent DXing. From what I can hear on 1100, it's the basketball game on WTAM and some Spanish station in the background. It looks like there will be lightning in the southeast through thursday night.

Can any of you up north hear the lightning too?

Nope, getting Fargo fine here in the Chicago area. I would suggest that when your lightening quits try later in the evening if you can. With Fargo being further west & north than Cleveland you might have a better chance.

 

[gr8oldies]

No static at all in Ohio. Much better signal on KZFG tonight; good enough to follow the programming at times.

 

[radioman148]

Fargo is loud & clear here in Chicago at 11:34PM. Can't even hear WTAM at the moment.

 

[cyberdad]

I took a stab at KFGO, WDAY, AND KZFG (or is it WZFG) pre-dawn this morning from my hotel room just west of downtown Phoenix. Came up empty on 790 and 970. On 1100, there's a local here, but hardly a world-beater at 1kw nighttime. I heard two stations underneath the local. One in spanish....the other was conservative political talk in english. I never did catch an ID on the latter.....so I'm not sure what this was.

IMHO, political talk....whether from left or right....is not an excuse for stations operating above authorized nighttime power. Public safety, on the other hand, is an excellent reason.

Anyway, I'll make another attempt at it tonite and see how I come out. At Radioman 148's suggestion, I'll also try for the Chicago blowtorches and see what happens with them. The Chicago biggies used to be not all that tough here. The next five nights I'm in California (So-Cal, then Nor-Cal), where things might be a little more difficult. (San Francisco 1100 should be a particular pest). I've only got the walkman with me on this trip. But on my other two April trips I'm in Florida/Southeast, and then Europe. I'll probably take the DX-375 with me on those. Fargo would be a hell of a catch in either instance....but hopefully the flood danger will have passed by then.

 

[gar hi]

There was still too much lightning for me to hear much even late at night but I woke up a couple hours early today when it was still dark and went to get the radio. Hardly any lightning static this time. Still, all I could get on 1100 was WTAM, a Spanish station, and "something" else very faint. WBT started to spill over and interfere at times too. Speaking of that station from San Francisco, I looked at their nighttime directional pattern and it seems to go in the general direction that could favor the signal maybe making it here. The faintest of the three stations I heard on 1100 seemed to be from more of a WNW direction as opposed to the NW where the Fargo area is. Then again, I think there are a couple of other stations somewhere out west too on 1100 with 10kw power.

While I was up, I also made a good attempt to hear KNX on 1070. There were at least three stations with someone talking but none stood out to the point of being able to hear anything significant. I would think KNX should be a possible catch here.

 

[radioman148]

I took a stab at KFGO, WDAY, AND KZFG (or is it WZFG) pre-dawn this morning from my hotel room just west of downtown Phoenix. Came up empty on 790 and 970. On 1100, there's a local here, but hardly a world-beater at 1kw nighttime. I heard two stations underneath the local. One in spanish....the other was conservative political talk in english. I never did catch an ID on the latter.....so I'm not sure what this was.

IMHO, political talk....whether from left or right....is not an excuse for stations operating above authorized nighttime power. Public safety, on the other hand, is an excellent reason.

Anyway, I'll make another attempt at it tonite and see how I come out. At Radioman 148's suggestion, I'll also try for the Chicago blowtorches and see what happens with them. The Chicago biggies used to be not all that tough here. The next five nights I'm in California (So-Cal, then Nor-Cal), where things might be a little more difficult. (San Francisco 1100 should be a particular pest). I've only got the walkman with me on this trip. But on my other two April trips I'm in Florida/Southeast, and then Europe. I'll probably take the DX-375 with me on those. Fargo would be a hell of a catch in either instance....but hopefully the flood danger will have passed by then.

Hi Cyberdad,

WBBM & WLS should be possible in Phoenix, but probably very difficult in California.
1100 San Francisco sends a killer signal into the pacific. It was one of the strongest mainland station when I was in Hawaii.

 

[radioman148]

There was still too much lightning for me to hear much even late at night but I woke up a couple hours early today when it was still dark and went to get the radio. Hardly any lightning static this time. Still, all I could get on 1100 was WTAM, a Spanish station, and "something" else very faint. WBT started to spill over and interfere at times too. Speaking of that station from San Francisco, I looked at their nighttime directional pattern and it seems to go in the general direction that could favor the signal maybe making it here. The faintest of the three stations I heard on 1100 seemed to be from more of a WNW direction as opposed to the NW where the Fargo area is. Then again, I think there are a couple of other stations somewhere out west too on 1100 with 10kw power.

While I was up, I also made a good attempt to hear KNX on 1070. There were at least three stations with someone talking but none stood out to the point of being able to hear anything significant. I would think KNX should be a possible catch here.

Don't give up on Fargo you still may snag it.
San Francisco on 1100 will be much tougher as they send most of their signal into the pacific.

 

[BRNout]

Fargo is loud & clear here in Chicago at 11:34PM. Can't even hear WTAM at the moment.

That's interesting, because I was listening to 1100 at around 10:45 last night from roughly the same area as you're in (based on past posts) and WTAM was totally dominant when I checked it out. I heard some faint signals in the background at one point that sounded like Lee Greenwood "Proud to be an American" but otherwise it was WTAM all the way. Listened for about 15 minutes and assumed that KZFG was back to their normal pattern.

Briefly tried for 790, but was quickly reminded that WBBM's Stalinist IBlOCk jammer owned that frequency.

 

[gar hi]

WBBM & WLS should be possible in Phoenix, but probably very difficult in California.

Maybe today with all the added frequencies but I remember in the 70s and early 80s, easily getting them as regulars in the San Francisco area, especially WLS.
They had a real good signal most nights.

Don't give up on Fargo you still may snag it.
San Francisco on 1100 will be much tougher as they send most of their signal into the pacific.

I wonder if a lot of the way the pattern of the SF station on 1100 looks is because of the conductivity of the salt water too? They are nulled to the NE and E but still have their signal going SE.

 

[radioman148]

Fargo is loud & clear here in Chicago at 11:34PM. Can't even hear WTAM at the moment.

That's interesting, because I was listening to 1100 at around 10:45 last night from roughly the same area as you're in (based on past posts) and WTAM was totally dominant when I checked it out. I heard some faint signals in the background at one point that sounded like Lee Greenwood "Proud to be an American" but otherwise it was WTAM all the way. Listened for about 15 minutes and assumed that KZFG was back to their normal pattern.

Briefly tried for 790, but was quickly reminded that WBBM's Stalinist IBlOCk jammer owned that frequency.

Very strange because Fargo was dominant for me over Cleveland at that time.
I won't even try 790 because of WBBM's IBOC.

 

[radioman148]

WBBM & WLS should be possible in Phoenix, but probably very difficult in California.

Maybe today with all the added frequencies but I remember in the 70s and early 80s, easily getting them as regulars in the San Francisco area, especially WLS.
They had a real good signal most nights.

Don't give up on Fargo you still may snag it.
San Francisco on 1100 will be much tougher as they send most of their signal into the pacific.

There was somebody on this board not too long ago who said they were still able to hear WBBM sometimes under KKOH in the Phoenix area.

WLS was an easy catch in California in the 60s thru most of the 80s.

 

[jd]

Here's more about the emergency operation of WZFG from their chief engineer in a statement issued Sunday; it appeared on the Cleveland board: "WZFG is operating at 25KW ND ch/nightime as of 3/27/09. 3/28/09 was at 50kw ND. Operating under FCC Rules Part 73 section 1250. Will continue at 25kw as long as broadcasting under emergency conditions. Probably 5 to 7 days. May go back to 50kw if there are any new major flood related emergencies."

 

[radioman148]

Here's more about the emergency operation of WZFG from their chief engineer in a statement issued Sunday; it appeared on the Cleveland board: "WZFG is operating at 25KW ND ch/nightime as of 3/27/09. 3/28/09 was at 50kw ND. Operating under FCC Rules Part 73 section 1250. Will continue at 25kw as long as broadcasting under emergency conditions. Probably 5 to 7 days. May go back to 50kw if there are any new major flood related emergencies."

Thanks for the info.

 

[radionekkid]

Here's more about the emergency operation of WZFG from their chief engineer in a statement issued Sunday; it appeared on the Cleveland board: "WZFG is operating at 25KW ND ch/nightime as of 3/27/09. 3/28/09 was at 50kw ND. Operating under FCC Rules Part 73 section 1250. Will continue at 25kw as long as broadcasting under emergency conditions. Probably 5 to 7 days. May go back to 50kw if there are any new major flood related emergencies."

73.1250 specifies conditions for this STA that might have them in violation. The rule ask for showing of certain details and certification that "no other services broadcast services exist or was adequate". It appears that other services are availiable and adequate in that area. Hope they were "candid" with the FCC. Also, the Class A in Cleveland is a National LP-1. It won't last long if that is the case.

 

[ALRocker]

There is no sign of them where I'm at in north Alabama. WTAM is very solid here, not even the Cubans mess with it.

 

[BobOnTheJob]

WTAM lost their audio at 9:13PM EDT...there was someone clearly talking to a mayor about how he was keeping the affected city running so smoothly in face of the crisis. No ID, but I very likely heard WZFG 30 miles south of Indianapolis.

 

[radioman148]

WTAM lost their audio at 9:13PM EDT...there was someone clearly talking to a mayor about how he was keeping the affected city running so smoothly in face of the crisis. No ID, but I very likely heard WZFG 30 miles south of Indianapolis.

Here in northern Illinois if I turn my radio one way I get WTAM and if I null TAM I get Fargo.
I must be in the epicenter.

 

[gar hi]

I've been checking again tonight. Hardly any lightning to be heard at least but unfortunately even at around 1000 miles away, WTAM rules the frequency. The only other thing I can hear in the background is something in Spanish.

 

[gr8oldies]

I was listening around 9:15 also in Xenia OH and KZFG was listenable. It
Was the mayor of Moorehead MN

 

[radioman148]

I was listening around 9:15 also in Xenia OH and KZFG was listenable. It
Was the mayor of Moorehead MN

Right now at 11:48PM CDT KZFG is totally dominant 25 miles north of Chicago.
I can barely hear WTAM.