Are the LA stations audible in San Diego?

[badjef]

Don't forget about KBIG's monster signal (at least, when compared to most other L.A. signals). I got KBIG's signal the best in San Diego. From my experiences, you can really start picking them up even better from about Mission Valley northward.

Remember, KBIG pulled back from its 105 kw to 65 kw a few years back due to RF issues on Wilson.

That is still the highest commercial ERP on Wilson, but is within a tiny difference with the other high range stations up there, KLOS, KTWV and KRTH.

What were the "RF issues"?

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[mr_arbitron]

The listeners don't seem to feel that way. In the last book, The Walrus had a 4.8 12+ share in its market, while KRTH had a 4.2. 

David

KFI-AM 640 has a larger share of the Sandy Eggo audience than KFMB-AM 760. It's quality, not quantity.

Chris, i understand your bias against KFMB, but can you explain that KNX even stomps on KCBQ? I know you try to prop Mark Larson up, but there comes a time when you have to advocate for him to gracefully retire


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Mr. Arbitron

 

[kenb]

Yes, the reception in San Diego is great for receiving LA radio signals. Take a look at a map, it is like a giant curve as you head south to Tijuana. The terrain allows for natural peaks and valleys. Get up high enough on the mesas (peaks), along the coastal Interstate 5 area, and the FMs boomed in from LA and even Santa Barbara, like local stations, as reported earlier.
In the 1960's, When I lived in San Diego, I used to listen on AM to KHJ, KFWB & KRLA -- when KGB & KCBQ were battling it out. KIST 1340 AM (Santa Barbara) & KACY 1520 AM (Pt. Hueneme-south of Santa Barbara) we're also go-tos. Unfortunately, if you went to the inland areas of El Cajon and Escondido, there was very little signal to hear, on either AM or FM.

 

[davideduardo]

What were the "RF issues"?

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

OSHA limits.

 

[cyberdad]

Just one guy's experience.....

For a number of years I'd have 2-3 biz trips annually to So-Cal. Usually 2-3 days of a given week before moving on to Nor-Cal or Seattle. Anyway, KRTH is normally what I'd have on in the rental car. Generally speaking KRTH had a pretty reliable signal throughout both North County and even in the city of San Diego itself. A few dead spots to be sure, but never enough to make me change the dial.

I also like CBS TOH newscasts wherever I go on the road. Never a problem catching those on KNX anywhere I sent in San Diego county, either.

 

[SDRadio]

I also like CBS TOH newscasts wherever I go on the road. Never a problem catching those on KNX anywhere I sent in San Diego county, either.

There's an app for that on the phone (Android and iPhone). CBS Radio News. I use that every day!

 

[cyberdad]

I also like CBS TOH newscasts wherever I go on the road. Never a problem catching those on KNX anywhere I sent in San Diego county, either.

There's an app for that on the phone (Android and iPhone). CBS Radio News. I use that every day!

Thanks for the tip. I have the CBS "Radio" app on my iPhone, but I find it has more than a few "quirks" if not "bugs". I'll try the CBS radio news app. Should be especially handy when I'm somewhere where the TOH news is unavailable (which seems to be getting more common) or when I'm out of the country.

(Apologies for the veer off topic)

 

[Ben Shaton]

There's a handful that are audible here. It used to be that the stations that played music were better in LA. KHJ & KRLA used to spin many records weeks before they got played on either KCBQ or KGB. I lived in North County at the time and after sunset sometimes KHJ was the only one with a decent signal. Now the stations there that come in here aren't any better than the locals like it was up until the 80's. Nothing like the Mighty Met, the old KLOS, or even KEARTH before they tightened their playlist and expanded their commercial breaks.

AM is a different story, all the local news talkers parrot the same talking points, other stations are Spanish or Sports. I'll listen to KFI when Leo Leporte is on in my car on weekends, and occasionally KNX for news but that's about it.

 

[pianoplayer88key]

I took my Tecsun PL-606 outside to see what L.A. & I.E. stations I could hear with it. For FM, I went up on the roof, and for AM I took the radio and the Select-A-Tenna out to the back yard to get away from the house QRM. (I'm near 32°45'40"N 116°56'50"W.)
There are no recordings, though. My Zoom H2 isn't recognizing any SD cards, which is required to be able to record. I may start another topic somewhere asking for recommendations for a new one that, among other things, doesn't radiate anything that could interfere with single-digit µV/m AM broadcast signals.

First, the FM stations I heard this afternoon:
88.1 KKJZ Long Beach
88.5 KSBR Mission Viejo
88.9 KSDW Temecula
91.5 KUSC Los Angeles
91.9 KVCR San Bernardino
92.3 KHHT Los Angeles
92.9 KXFG Sun City
93.9 KXOS Los Angeles
94.3 KEBN Garden Grove
94.7 KTWV Los Angeles
95.1 KFRG San Bernardino
95.5 KLOS Los Angeles
95.9 KFSH La Mirada
96.3 KXOL Los Angeles
96.7 KCAL Redlands
97.9 KLAX East Los Angeles
98.7 KYSR Los Angeles
99.1 KGGI Riverside
99.9 KOLA San Bernardino
100.3 KSWD Los Angeles
100.9 KAEH Beaumont
101.1 KRTH Los Angeles
101.9 KSCA Glendale
102.3 KJLH Compton
102.7 KIIS Los Angeles
103.5 KOST Los Angeles
104.3 KBIG Los Angeles
105.1 KKGO Los Angeles
105.9 KPWR Los Angeles
107.5 KLVE Los Angeles
107.9 KWVE San Clemente

I had local IBOC blocking 93.1, 93.5, 97,1 and 97.5, 106.3, 106.7 and maybe a few others I can't remember at the moment.

There were a few other frequencies I heard whose identity I was unable to confirm.
One I should mention was 90.9 FM. I heard 3 different programs - classical music, sports talk and religious (sermon). During a break in the sports program, I heard a commercial mentioning Kearny Mesa, but that was on 90.9, and 91.1 was playing rock. Any idea what I may have been hearing on 90.9? The signal was in and out, but never flexed the signal strength indicator on the PL-606.


Now, the AM stations (a few were heard several minutes ago, the rest a few hours earlier; some with the aid of the SAT):
570 KLAC Los Angeles
590 KTIE San Bernardino
610 KAVL Lancaster
640 KFI Los Angeles
670 KIRN Simi Valley
710 KSPN Los Angeles
740 KBRT Avalon
790 KABC Los Angeles
830 KLAA Orange
870 KRLA Los Angeles
930 KHJ Los Angeles
960 KIXW Apple Valley
980 KFWB Los Angeles
1020 KTNQ Los Angeles
1050 KCAA Loma Linda
1070 KNX Los Angeles
1110 KDIS Pasadena
1150 KTLK Los Angeles
1190 KGBN Anaheim
1220 KWKU Pomona
1230 KYPA Los Angeles
1260 KMZT Beverly Hills
1280 KFRN Long Beach
1290 KKDD San Bernardino
1300 KAZN Pasadena
1330 KWKW Los Angeles
1350 KTDD San Bernardino
1370 KWRM Corona
1390 KLTX Long Beach
1410 KCAL Redlands
1430 KMRB San Gabriel
1440 KFNY Riverside
1460 KTYM Inglewood
1480 KVNR Santa Ana
1510 KSPA Ontario
1540 KMPC Los Angeles
1570 KPRO Riverside
1580 KBLA Los Angeles
1600 KAHZ Pomona
1650 KFOX Torrance
1670 KHPY Moreno Valley

I didn't hear 900 KALI due to their deep null in my direction and local 5 kW 910 KECR being only 9.3 miles away. Also some of them had co-channel interference ranging from a beating carrier to target only audible when QRM wasn't modulating. Also, I heard 1220 KHTS Canyon Country one night some time ago, but didn't hear it this afternoon.


Now, who in San Diego area (not including north county or areas near saltwater enhancement, except on Mt. Soledad for FM reception ) hears any L.A. / I.E. AM/FM stations I didn't hear?

 

[Dr. o Fun]

Forgive the question, but I notice some of the Los Angeles stations appear on the ratings list for San Diego.

I can understand AMers like KFI getting there, but do the FM stations really make it that far?

I used to listen to KLOS-FM in San Diego proper.

dr

 

[badjef]

What were the "RF issues"?

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

OSHA limits.

If it had to do with the antenna height over immediate ground, there will be more de-powers.

Quad-zilla, Chattanooga, etc.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[fybush]

If it had to do with the antenna height over immediate ground, there will be more de-powers.

Quad-zilla, Chattanooga, etc.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

Not necessarily. Mount Wilson is an unusual case: the presence of a US Post Office in one of the transmitter buildings at the summit makes it impossible to completely gate off the core of the tower farm up there to prevent "uncontrolled" public access. Add in the huge number of high-powered UHF TV signals and the superpower FMs and it's a unique RF mess up there. Other areas with similar concentrations of class C facilities fairly low to the ground (Sandia Crest in Albuquerque comes to mind, as does South Mountain in Phoenix) can fence off much more of the RF-hotspot area to prevent public access and allow the much higher "controlled" RF limits to be used.

 

[SDRadio]

Chris, i understand your bias against KFMB, but can you explain that KNX even stomps on KCBQ? I know you try to prop Mark Larson up, but there comes a time when you have to advocate for him to gracefully retire


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Mr. Arbitron

Welcome back.

I have no bias against KFMB-AM; nor any station that legally operates. I do understand your point; thanks for reminding me.

As for KNX over KCBQ, that is an easy choice. I listen to KNX as it does cover San Diego.

Mr. Larson is one of the few show hosts who "gets" promotion. I do not necessarily agree with everything he stands for (especially the former governor); but he is a radio host in the market.

Thanks.

 

[jprg]

I listen to KNX 1070 which is based in LA but it's the only news station here in San Diego

 

[BMR]

Not necessarily. Mount Wilson is an unusual case: the presence of a US Post Office in one of the transmitter buildings at the summit

Hmm. I do think the risks of brain tumours etc from RF exposure are greatly overstated. Even so, I'm not so sure I'd want to work in that post office....

 

[Big 121]

Intense RFR? Try the old Downtown location for KITT 105.3 . It was atop the Bank Of America building. It's 120,000 watts (horizontal) "cooked" everybody in the building and probably everything for a 1/4 mile around. It's music was not the only thing to give you a warm feeling.

 

[badjef]

Intense RFR? Try the old Downtown location for KITT 105.3 . It was atop the Bank Of America building. It's 120,000 watts (horizontal) "cooked" everybody in the building and probably everything for a 1/4 mile around. It's music was not the only thing to give you a warm feeling.

But that was a different time.

KITT was off the air for about a year and a half during which time they move to Mt. Soledad and de-powered. They lost their grandfathered status in the process. That was in 1978-9.

RF radiation protocals have tightened around the neck of the broadcaster pretty tightly now.

And with more and more stations being authorized, the human race is being subjected to a huge experiment to see if RF is going to have any long term effects on the human body.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[Robnoxious]

Conversely, I've taken 101.5 KGB and 91X to the top of the Grapevine.

 

[Lopaka]

How serious an issue is RF? I honestly don't know, but I do know I recently met the 5th person I have known with a brain tumor as opposed to only 2 with cigarette cancer. Something weird is going on, maybe it is RF, maybe dental X rays, its hard to believe all these people got it from cell phones. Gruesome topic but I guess it needs to be discussed if we are going to find out how to avoid it.

 

[Big 121]

Years back, the FCC stated that humans' RF exposure in the 30-300 mhz range should be controlled to certain exposure levels. "Ham" radio operators included. These frequencies penetrate the body and are thought to damage cells and dissipate heat.The higher the frequency,the lower
the penetration,and at 1.8 gig (cellphone) and higher, it appears the surface absorbs much less and reflects the rest. Avoid RF when possible..