Colorado Springs - KCEG 780 - *and* 1000?

[NoMoreLurking]

While in Colorado Springs earlier this week, I chased a classic country station I was hearing on 1000 kHz calling itself "Radio Ranch" until I finally heard a top of the hour ID for KCEG, Fountain, Colorado Springs, Pueblo.

Sure enough, it was the same programming as heard on KCEG-780. There's nothing on 1000 within 150km of Colorado Springs, according to FCC Info. Signal was weaker than other local stations; faded in spots on my rental car radio, but fairly consistent.

There must be an explanation, but....?

Additionally, the new 50kw version of KLIM-1120 is apparently not yet on the air. (But it'll be a daytime blaster in the Springs, Pueblo, and Denver once it is.)

 

[jammerdave]

Got it.

KCEG 780 and KJME 890 are collocated/diplexed, it appears. Diff in freq is 110 Khz. 110 x 2 = 220. 780 + 220 is 1000. Somebody needs better filtering on their transmitters (mix in RF amplifer), *or* your receiver 1st mixer was being overloaded.

Transmitters located east of I-25 near Wigwam, south of Colorado springs.
http://fccdata.org/?facid=&call=kceg&ccode=1&city=&state=&country=US&arn=&party=&party_type=LICEN
http://fccdata.org/?facid=&call=kjme&ccode=1&city=&state=&country=US&arn=&party=&party_type=LICEN


dave

While in Colorado Springs earlier this week, I chased a classic country station I was hearing on 1000 kHz calling itself "Radio Ranch" until I finally heard a top of the hour ID for KCEG, Fountain, Colorado Springs, Pueblo.

Sure enough, it was the same programming as heard on KCEG-780. There's nothing on 1000 within 150km of Colorado Springs, according to FCC Info. Signal was weaker than other local stations; faded in spots on my rental car radio, but fairly consistent.

There must be an explanation, but....?

Additionally, the new 50kw version of KLIM-1120 is apparently not yet on the air. (But it'll be a daytime blaster in the Springs, Pueblo, and Denver once it is.)

 

[rbrucecarter5]

Got it.

KCEG 780 and KJME 890 are collocated/diplexed, it appears. Diff in freq is 110 Khz. 110 x 2 = 220. 780 + 220 is 1000. Somebody needs better filtering on their transmitters (mix in RF amplifer), *or* your receiver 1st mixer was being overloaded.

Transmitters located east of I-25 near Wigwam, south of Colorado springs.
http://fccdata.org/?facid=&call=kceg&ccode=1&city=&state=&country=US&arn=&party=&party_type=LICEN
http://fccdata.org/?facid=&call=kjme&ccode=1&city=&state=&country=US&arn=&party=&party_type=LICEN


dave

Interesting that I did not get a trace of them NW of Clayton, NM about 10 years ago. Either they are new, or the radio-locator maps are overly optimistic. I DID hear the sideband pair of WBBM, however. How I wish I'd had an HD radio in that car, I am thinking the digital might have decoded even though there was no trace of analog or even carrier. But there were sideband pairs of every single Chicago station, it was very obvious what was going on.

 

[joebtsflk1]

That's happened at least one time for me while monitoring 1000 in the Springs during the day. But then the car radio in our Kia is easily overloaded.

KLIM 1120 at Limon may very well be worth $100k the Catholic Radio Network paid for it last year. But probably not a dollar more, as it still has to build a two tower DA for the 50 kW CP, plus there's a rather nasty critical hours reduction back to the original 250 watt site which will only cover the COL of Limon. The 50 kW site is between Denver and Limon, so it barely gets the required 5 mV/m back to Limon.

 

[joebtsflk1]

BTW, KCEG and KJME went on the air around 2009. It's a project of longtime broadcast engineering consultant Tim Cutforth from Denver.

 

[rbrucecarter5]

BTW, KCEG and KJME went on the air around 2009. It's a project of longtime broadcast engineering consultant Tim Cutforth from Denver.

And there is the answer. ten years ago KCEG didn't exist. It was a stock Delco radio - and a pretty good one. It certainly would have received KCEG at least faintly at the rest stop NW of Clayton.

 

[MarioMania]

KJME went on the air in 2012

Look it up

 

[NoMoreLurking]

Got it.

KCEG 780 and KJME 890 are collocated/diplexed, it appears. Diff in freq is 110 Khz. 110 x 2 = 220. 780 + 220 is 1000. Somebody needs better filtering on their transmitters (mix in RF amplifer), *or* your receiver 1st mixer was being overloaded.

I shudder to think that a Hyundai rental car radio's AM section might not be top notch! Good to know that joebtsflk1 has experienced the same thing, so at least I'm not that crazy.

Meanwhile the stock AM radio in the Hyundai I own at home isn't half bad; maybe I just got lucky with that.

I neglected to mention that this 1000 phenom was daytime reception only. I did visit the frequency after dark and didn't hear country music...just the unspectacular low level mush of multiple stations, likely faint bits of KTOK, WMVP, and others who don't send a heckuva lot of signal toward COS, which is just as I remember from living in that area many years ago.

 

[NoMoreLurking]

KJME went on the air in 2012

Look it up

Always up for a challenge, I did look it up. It appears that the construction permit expired in 2008 and calls were deleted, but a petition for reinstatement was successful. In 2009 they were given their call letters and CP back and awarded an STA, which is probably why the first actual air date is confusing. But yes, you're right that they started regular programming in 2012.

According to the always accurate Internet and the station's own site, KJME is now "890 Yesterday" apparently playing all-Beatles for "Colorado Spring (sic) - Pueblo."