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

[cyberdad]

This morning in Phoenix, the results were about the same as yesterday. The english language syndicated political talk program was stronger under the 1kw local on 1100. No news or emergency info, but plenty of colon-cleanse, get-out-of debt, male performance enhancement, etc., and other enlightening high-class material dueling with the exactly same sort of stuff on the local, but no ID. So I'm still not sure what I was hearing.

 

[cyberdad]

e]

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.

I've heard all four blowtorches many a time out here, but probably not do-able these days with just the Walkman. I'll probably give them a try, however, along with Fargo. I'm in Laguna tonight and tomorrow, followed by three nights in Napa valley (Yountville). In each instance there's a lack of nearby sticks/noise. So who knows....

 

[radioman148]

e]

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.

I've heard all four blowtorches many a time out here, but probably not do-able these days with just the Walkman. I'll probably give them a try, however, along with Fargo. I'm in Laguna tonight and tomorrow, followed by three nights in Napa valley (Yountville). In each instance there's a lack of nearby sticks/noise. So who knows....

I don't expect you'll have any chance at 670 with all the clutter on that frequency & 720 has KDWN so I doubt you'll get any results there, but 780 & 890 may be possible although I would think more so in AZ than Ca.

 

[BRNout]

Tried again last night from about 25 mi NNW of Chicago and still found WTAM to be clearly dominant at 10:45 pm or so. At one point, they faded and another station with talk programming (I have to assume KZFG) faded in for a few seconds. However, over a 20 minute span, it was WTAM loud and clear with KZFG in the background to non-existent. Nulling WTAM really didn't help all that much either. They were booming in here for the most part.

Tried 970 and heard some fading classic country and not much else.

 

[radioman148]

Tried again last night from about 25 mi NNW of Chicago and still found WTAM to be clearly dominant at 10:45 pm or so. At one point, they faded and another station with talk programming (I have to assume KZFG) faded in for a few seconds. However, over a 20 minute span, it was WTAM loud and clear with KZFG in the background to non-existent. Nulling WTAM really didn't help all that much either. They were booming in here for the most part.

Tried 970 and heard some fading classic country and not much else.

That's very strange as I was getting Fargo much better at 11:45PM last night.
Alot of the time the two really battle it out.

 

[schmave]

Tried here in Houston last night and never heard Fargo. We're just a bit too far from Cleveland for me to hear WTAM.

 

[LKidd]

Going back to an earlier time, back in the 1997 Red River flood that hammered Grand Forks (north of Fargo), one of the stations there (a class B on 1590) was able to convince a co-channel station in Great Bend, Kansas to back off on their night power, normally directionalized to the north, so they woundn't have to fight as much interference.

 

[radioman148]

Tried here in Houston last night and never heard Fargo. We're just a bit too far from Cleveland for me to hear WTAM.

Do you get anything on 1100 in the Houston area?

 

[schmave]

Nothing but jumble. I hear Spanish on there occasionally, but not knowing the language I can't identify the station.
Unfortunately, Houston is just a little bit too far south to hear many stations most DXers east of the Rockies take for granted.

 

[gar hi]

Tried here in Houston last night and never heard Fargo. We're just a bit too far from Cleveland for me to hear WTAM.

Well, if you can't get the Fargo station where you are (closer than where I am) and you don't hear WTAM (as I always do), then I can conclude that getting the Fargo station here is pretty much out of the question.

 

[radioman148]

Tried here in Houston last night and never heard Fargo. We're just a bit too far from Cleveland for me to hear WTAM.

Well, if you can't get the Fargo station where you are (closer than where I am) and you don't hear WTAM (as I always do), then I can conclude that getting the Fargo station here is pretty much out of the question.

You guys are so far south you get too much interference from the carribean.
Can you get Chicago or WCCO Minneapolis in Fla? If so you still have a shot at Fargo.

 

[cyberdad]

I don't expect you'll have any chance at 670 with all the clutter on that frequency & 720 has KDWN so I doubt you'll get any results there, but 780 & 890 may be possible although I would think more so in AZ than Ca.

That's more or less what I've run into here in So-Cal. KDWN is the strongest. 670 is a mix of KIRN and KBOI. 780 is Reno and 890 is Utah. 1100 is basically just a mess. From experience, Napa shouldn't be much different other than 670 will find KBOI strong/KIRN absent...and San Francisco 1100 won't be particularly strong, but will effectively be a major pest.

 

[radioman148]

I don't expect you'll have any chance at 670 with all the clutter on that frequency & 720 has KDWN so I doubt you'll get any results there, but 780 & 890 may be possible although I would think more so in AZ than Ca.

That's more or less what I've run into here in So-Cal. KDWN is the strongest. 670 is a mix of KIRN and KBOI. 780 is Reno and 890 is Utah. 1100 is basically just a mess. From experience, Napa shouldn't be much different other than 670 will find KBOI strong/KIRN absent...and San Francisco 1100 won't be particularly strong, but will effectively be a major pest.

Too bad you didn't get to try 780 & 890 in Phoenix. From what I've heard WBBM was still possible sometimes in AZ a few years ago.

 

[BRNout]

I don't expect you'll have any chance at 670 with all the clutter on that frequency & 720 has KDWN so I doubt you'll get any results there, but 780 & 890 may be possible although I would think more so in AZ than Ca.

That's more or less what I've run into here in So-Cal. KDWN is the strongest. 670 is a mix of KIRN and KBOI. 780 is Reno and 890 is Utah. 1100 is basically just a mess. From experience, Napa shouldn't be much different other than 670 will find KBOI strong/KIRN absent...and San Francisco 1100 won't be particularly strong, but will effectively be a major pest.

I had a little time to dx at night from San Jose, CA and you are pretty much right. 670 was a strong KBOI, 780 was a very strong Reno and 890 was a pretty strong KDXU. No Chicago stations were to be found. Of course, 1100 was pretty much local from there. Farthest east station I could hear was KOA Denver with splatter from the local on 860. I think I heard KTWO Casper too, but couldn't ID it to be sure.

 

[gar hi]

You guys are so far south you get too much interference from the carribean.
Can you get Chicago or WCCO Minneapolis in Fla? If so you still have a shot at Fargo.

Where I am, 670 is usually ruled by a Spanish station. 720 is fairly decent. WBBM is usually pretty good, the best of all the Chicago stations here, and WLS is there to be heard fairly decent but usually in the background of a Spanish station. 20 years ago, it was different and the Chicago stations ruled at night. WCCO is an on and off thing, often in competition with other stations.

 

[radioman148]

I suspect 1100 Fargo may be back to regular power at night. No trace of them here last night. I'll check again tonight.

 

[radioman148]

You guys are so far south you get too much interference from the carribean.
Can you get Chicago or WCCO Minneapolis in Fla? If so you still have a shot at Fargo.

Where I am, 670 is usually ruled by a Spanish station. 720 is fairly decent. WBBM is usually pretty good, the best of all the Chicago stations here, and WLS is there to be heard fairly decent but usually in the background of a Spanish station. 20 years ago, it was different and the Chicago stations ruled at night. WCCO is an on and off thing, often in competition with other stations.

Thanks for the report on the midwest stations.

 

[cyberdad]

I had a little time to dx at night from San Jose, CA and you are pretty much right. 670 was a strong KBOI, 780 was a very strong Reno and 890 was a pretty strong KDXU. No Chicago stations were to be found. Of course, 1100 was pretty much local from there. Farthest east station I could hear was KOA Denver with splatter from the local on 860. I think I heard KTWO Casper too, but couldn't ID it to be sure.

KTWO has always been fairly easy for me on the west coast, so that's what I suspect you heard. Offhand, I'd say WHO is generally the farthest east station that's fairly easy to be heard up and down the west coast on a regular basis.

 

[radioman148]

I had a little time to dx at night from San Jose, CA and you are pretty much right. 670 was a strong KBOI, 780 was a very strong Reno and 890 was a pretty strong KDXU. No Chicago stations were to be found. Of course, 1100 was pretty much local from there. Farthest east station I could hear was KOA Denver with splatter from the local on 860. I think I heard KTWO Casper too, but couldn't ID it to be sure.

KTWO has always been fairly easy for me on the west coast, so that's what I suspect you heard. Offhand, I'd say WHO is generally the farthest east station that's fairly easy to be heard up and down the west coast on a regular basis.

There is a 1040 in San Diego, but I guess they're very weak.

 

[BobOnTheJob]

I suspect 1100 Fargo may be back to regular power at night. No trace of them here last night. I'll check again tonight.

Gone here the past couple of nights as swell.