Brand new AM 50kw Daytime blast furnace seeks DX Reports

[The Beave]

Hi DX-ers,

Our station management and engineers are seeking "HONEST" DX reports from DX-ers in the following states.
Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin, & Canada (Manatoba/Saskatchewan)

If you are able to receive WZFG-AM 1100 Dilworth, MN/Fargo, ND
Please e-mail Scott Hennen at: [email protected]
or you can snail mail the station at:

WZFG-AM 1100 The Flag
Attn: Scott Hennen
64 N. Broadway
Fargo, ND 58102

Please include the date and time as well as your location (please include Long. & Lat. also)
and the programming you heard.

WZFG-AM is a daytime 50kw Non Directional Nighttime .4kw

Thank you

 

[Rob]

I'll set up a bevvy and try my best.. I DX mostly FM though.
AM here is too crowded with spanish crap and tick tock from cuba.

good luck

Rob

 

[rbrucecarter5]

You are a bit far afield at 948 miles, but I've done 1000 mile daytime DX before - but never this high on the band. Fortunately, KRLD IBOC is shut down today, so I have a chance.

The frequency is all but blank, but there are two stations competing for the frequency. The strongest is playing country music, I would be inclined to believe it is WOMN on their 50 kW construction permit, because 450 miles on a 1000 Watt station is not believable, and WISS is even less likely given their present power of 1000W at 862 miles or their CP of 2500W. The weaker station is probably KDRY - but it is definitely not the one dominating the frequency.

If I get a chance, I'll try again at sunset before you power down.

Reception location - Plano, TX. Equipment GE Superadio 1 with a 3 foot loop. I will also try again with the 8 foot loop, which is presently down for repair.

 

[The Beave]

You are a bit far afield at 948 miles, but I've done 1000 mile daytime DX before - but never this high on the band. Fortunately, KRLD IBOC is shut down today, so I have a chance.

The frequency is all but blank, but there are two stations competing for the frequency. The strongest is playing country music, I would be inclined to believe it is WOMN on their 50 kW construction permit, because 450 miles on a 1000 Watt station is not believable, and WISS is even less likely given their present power of 1000W at 862 miles or their CP of 2500W. The weaker station is probably KDRY - but it is definitely not the one dominating the frequency.

If I get a chance, I'll try again at sunset before you power down.

Reception location - Plano, TX. Equipment GE Superadio 1 with a 3 foot loop. I will also try again with the 8 foot loop, which is presently down for repair.

The closest class 50KW to WZFG... is 1100 in Omaha. and they are heard in the monitors at night while WZFG is on "Flea" power. WZFG is a class B signal and has to protect Omaha and a few others at night.

 

[rbrucecarter5]

The closest class 50KW to WZFG... is 1100 in Omaha. and they are heard in the monitors at night while WZFG is on "Flea" power. WZFG is a class B signal and has to protect Omaha and a few others at night.

???? I thought Omaha was KFAB 1110, not 1100!

Your signal never did come through as the evening progressed, first it was owned by either the San Antonio or Missouri preaching station, then enough IBOC hash from KFAB that 1100 was a muddled mess underneath.

 

[The Beave]

You must have been listening during "critical Hours" where the power drops from 50kw at 1 hour before sunset to 22kw and then drops to 0.400kw at sunset for night time. Omaha is a co-channel to 1100 it still requires protection.

These stations are on the 1100am channel:
KKLL 1100 AM Webb City, MO Religious
WTAM 1100 AM Cleveland, OH News/Talk
KDRY 1100 AM Alamo Heights, TX Religious
***WZFG 1100 AM Dilworth, MN Talk***

on 1110:
KFAB 1110 AM Omaha, NE News/Talk
WJML 1110 AM Petoskey, MI Talk

on 1090:
CKRX 1090 AM Lethbridge, AB Country
KBOZ 1090 AM Bozeman, MT News/Talk
KNWS 1090 AM Waterloo, IA Northwestern College Christian Contemporary
KSOU 1090 AM Sioux Center, IA Christian Contemporary
KTGO 1090 AM Tioga, ND Country
WAQE 1090 AM Rice Lake, WI Country

it is very possible that interference could come from any of the above stations.

 

[mimo]

You must have been listening during "critical Hours" where the power drops from 50kw at 1 hour before sunset to 22kw and then drops to 0.400kw at sunset for night time. Omaha is a co-channel to 1100 it still requires protection.

These stations are on the 1100am channel:
KKLL 1100 AM Webb City, MO Religious
WTAM 1100 AM Cleveland, OH News/Talk
KDRY 1100 AM Alamo Heights, TX Religious
***WZFG 1100 AM Dilworth, MN Talk***

on 1110:
KFAB 1110 AM Omaha, NE News/Talk
WJML 1110 AM Petoskey, MI Talk

on 1090:
CKRX 1090 AM Lethbridge, AB Country
KBOZ 1090 AM Bozeman, MT News/Talk
KNWS 1090 AM Waterloo, IA Northwestern College Christian Contemporary
KSOU 1090 AM Sioux Center, IA Christian Contemporary
KTGO 1090 AM Tioga, ND Country
WAQE 1090 AM Rice Lake, WI Country

it is very possible that interference could come from any of the above stations.

CKRX has been off of 1090 for years. It never was country. They were top 40 then oldies then rock, it's now on 106.7 fm, with the same format it had in it's last AM days.

 

[The Beave]

CKRX has been off of 1090 for years. It never was country. They were top 40 then oldies then rock, it's now on 106.7 fm, with the same format it had in it's last AM days.

Mimo,
This is an FCC list. Right from their official site.

 

[mimo]

The FCC keeps defunct Canadian AM's on their list for some reason. Some of whom have been silent for decades. Maybe it's because there is a slim chance the station may come back. Lethbridge Alberta has been granted the frequencies of 1090 and 1220, neither of which are in operation anymore as both have moved to FM years ago. I used to listen to 1090 back when they were 1090 CHEC with their top 40 format and then their oldies by day top 40 by night format and I've heard them as a rocker in their final AM days. The only way I see 1090 being activated again is if the Lethbridge FM dial becomes so full and a station is needed the only place for it will be on AM.

 

[rbrucecarter5]

The FCC keeps defunct Canadian AM's on their list for some reason. Some of whom have been silent for decades. Maybe it's because there is a slim chance the station may come back. Lethbridge Alberta

I have never understood why Canadian stations are migrating to FM. With such a large land area, and most of the population concentrated along the Southern border to escape brutal winters - AM clears would seem to be the ideal way to serve small remote, isolated populations to the North. The population density falls as you go North, but with all that land area I assume it adds up to a lot of people. FM translators don't seem to be a viable way to reach them, neither does satellite or streaming.

 

[cyberdad]

I have never understood why Canadian stations are migrating to FM. With such a large land area, and most of the population concentrated along the Southern border to escape brutal winters - AM clears would seem to be the ideal way to serve small remote, isolated populations to the North.

Excellent point, but I doubt if most Canadian broadcasters or advertisers...like their US brethren...have any interest whatsoever in providing service to distant, remote, sparsely populated areas. In a perfect world, they might be more "charitable". But the age of satellite, internet, etc., along with low-power translators, there are increasingly numerous better alternatives to distant nighttime a.m. signals.

A few years back, I stayed in a small town in the Ontario north. Spotty, static-y nightime a.m. reception from distant US and Canada blowtorches. But all the streaming audio one could want on the computer, 50 or so U.S. and Canada channels on the TV via satellite dish, plus two CBC repeaters on FM. Not exactly a dearth of choices, and none of the locals were complaining.

 

[mimo]

The CRTC allowing these AM to FM flips is the MOST STUPID idea I've heard. Many stations are suffering from severely reduced coverage and some listeners HAVE complained they can no longer hear their station. I read some comments in a Medicine Hat Newspaper when CHAT 1270 became the last station to move from AM to FM in that town. In the 1980's and into the 90's there were NO LOCAL FM's in the town but 3 AM's. All of which were 10'000 watt stations with nice coverage areas. CHAT flipped I think around 2005 or 6 and there were tons of complaints from people who used to get a chrystal clear station (day AND night) on 1270 AM but couldn't get the FM signal at all. They relied on the AM to hear the local news and information plus the farm markets, as it's farm country out there. These people were left with no local radio at all.

Here in Ottawa we have a station (CJRC) trying to flip to FM from AM. The FM has been on for over a year and the signal sucks. Once outside of the downtown core (where it bleeds over the entire end of the FM dial) it practically disappears. My Fiance can't even hear the FM at her house, yet the AM is perfect, even in the downtown buildings we both work in, we can hear the AM just as well as the most powerful FM's in the market. 580 CKXR in Salmon Arm, B.C. had to have almost half a dozen repeaters to duplicate the coverage they had in the mountains on AM. Many listeners and stations are realising the stations move to FM may have better audio (if you're standing in a flat field next to the transmitter with nothing between it and you) but the signal pales compared to the AM signal they once had, and they have lost listeners who can no longer hear them when they once had a LOCAL signal on the AM dial. We've also lost a rimshot AM station from Smith's Falls that was at 630 who had a local quality signal here in the city to an FM move, now it barely comes in on the southwest side of the city. The rest of Ottawa hears nothing or 5 stations all bleeding over each other. Smart move dropping an AM signal that could be heard by over 1 million people for an FM that can barely be heard by 10 thousand.

 

[rbrucecarter5]

perfect world, they might be more "charitable". But the age of satellite, internet, etc., along with low-power translators, there are increasingly numerous better alternatives to distant nighttime a.m. signals.

I am sure the Inuit villages populated with subsistance fishermen all have satellite receivers and broadband internet in the igloos.

This argument is the most asinine I have ever heard - and offensive to all rural people who might not have the means to afford the satellite receivers and monthly bills, and the hefty monthly bill for broadband internet.

 

[fybush]

perfect world, they might be more "charitable". But the age of satellite, internet, etc., along with low-power translators, there are increasingly numerous better alternatives to distant nighttime a.m. signals.

I am sure the Inuit villages populated with subsistance fishermen all have satellite receivers and broadband internet in the igloos.

This argument is the most asinine I have ever heard - and offensive to all rural people who might not have the means to afford the satellite receivers and monthly bills, and the hefty monthly bill for broadband internet.

The truth lies somewhere in between. The Canadian government heavily subsidizes the distribution of broadcast signals to the North, and in fact something like 99.9% of rural Canadians do have access to CBC radio and TV signals via local relays, while the number who have access to the full spectrum of Canadian services via satellite is up north of 90%.

Indeed, the prevalence of direct-to-home satellite in small-town Canada is so large that when the Canadian government put together its transition plan to phase out analog TV, it explicitly noted that there may be no need for terrestrial TV broadcasting outside the larger cities once the DTV transition takes hold up there in 2011.

 

[cyberdad]

perfect world, they might be more "charitable".  But the age of satellite, internet, etc., along with low-power translators, there are increasingly numerous better alternatives to distant nighttime a.m. signals. 

This argument is the most asinine I have ever heard - and offensive to all rural people who might not have the means to afford the satellite receivers and monthly bills, and the hefty monthly bill for broadband internet. 

Respectfully sir, I am not trying to "argue" with you. Nor do I mean to be "offensive" to rural people....which, in fact, represents my own family background.  This includes grandparents born and raised in rural Northern Ontario....north of Lake Superior.

Indeed, I thought you made an excellent well-reasoned point.  I was merely attempting to offer a possible explanation of what's happening based on my own personal experience/observation and my individual one-man's-opinion.  I also do not consider advancing a theory without any malice intended in a civil conversation among reasonable adults to be "assinine" in any way.

Peace!

 

[The Beave]

Gentlemen,
Here in Fargo we do have alot of respect for our Canadian counterparts, I being one of them, as I used to voice the Canadian Radisson Inn Suites spots in 1990-1991.
I love visiting Canada every chance I get, and some day would love to work in one of the english langiage stations that are there.

Honestly, I look back at my intent to get a few DX reports for our owner and engineers.

One question if I may? Can we get this somewhat back on topic?

Cheers!

 

[cyberdad]

Beave....

Agreed.

I've poked around 1100 a few times here in Northern Illinois since you started the thread. I'm sure you'll eventually turn up at some point around sunrise or sunset when on daytime or even critical hours. Hasn't happened yet, however. WTAM out of Cleveland is puts in a pretty solid signal here on 1100 and owns the channel. On 1110, local WMBI has a pretty decent daytime signal here, but the channel is pretty open at night. On 1090, its sort of the opposite. Basically open during the day....KAAY fair to good at night.

Best Wishes and good luck with your new "blast furnace"!

 

[oldiesfan6479]

Beave,

Uncle Charlie's chart shows WZFG daytime during September
as 7:00am-7:45pm CDT, however you mentioned a reduction
for CH at starting at one hour before monthly sunset.

Is there also a CH period in the morning or do you go up to
50 gallons at monthly sunrise?

 

[The Beave]

it's 1 hour to the best of my knowledge... 1 before sunset/1 hr. after sunrise. then we kick the 50 gerbils in.
Our phasor will not allow us to go more than 400w during night or 9.7kw in the critical pattern although we are licensed for 22kw critical.

This week we have been having issues with night time power.. as the fleas have been a bit tired lately at 100w when they are usually buzzing around at 400w.

Last night I heard the pattern change from critical to night and it was brutal.

 

[vchimpanzee]

I'm glad this went off topic. It's an interesting discussion.

I find it hard to believe that most Inuit would have the Internet, or if they did, the high-speed kind.

I think subsidized radio for the north is a good idea for communication.

And the list of 1090, 1100 and 1110 frequencies left out KAAY, which I have picked up in the North Carolina mountains. Little Rock, Arkansas.