Dangerously high levels of AM construction

[dave73]

I know that in Indiana, WCPT won't be heard as clearly, or at all. It's not even in the primary coverage. I know during the time that it's dark & WCPT is still on the air, I can start hearing WBAP Dallas over WCPT. I do know that WCPT can stay on until Dallas sunset. For that, that's estimated at an additional 30 minutes of being on the air. With the new site, the gound conductivity might help a bit at carrying out the signal further. I however don't see it helping Chicago as much, due to the number of buildings & houses, plus much of the land paved over. I know from my experience with WYLL in Lowell Indiana, I only heard WYLL as long I traveled along areas with the ground exposed. If the area was all covered in buildings & asphalt/concrete, then KSL would be heard instead. So I don't expect WBAP to be completely gone from Chicago at night.

 

[avtosalon]

Years ago when I built the AM-820, WAIT, night array in Elmhurst, IL (for previous owners) the signal barely covered the north western city limits of Chicago. WBAP puts a gargantuan skywave into Chicago.

I don't quite understand why people keep knocking AM 820's night time signal when the transmitter was located in Elmhurst. I'm located 20 miles straight north of Elmhurst, and I specifically remember listening to WPNT (AM) at night in AM stereo with clear reception.

 

[dave73]

Years ago when I built the AM-820, WAIT, night array in Elmhurst, IL (for previous owners) the signal barely covered the north western city limits of Chicago. WBAP puts a gargantuan skywave into Chicago.

I don't quite understand why people keep knocking AM 820's night time signal when the transmitter was located in Elmhurst. I'm located 20 miles straight north of Elmhurst, and I specifically remember listening to WPNT (AM) at night in AM stereo with clear reception.

Maybe the reception was aimed just right at your area, and then WPNT-AM was heard with no problem. Chicago has a lot of houses & buildings. Not only that, a lot of the ground is paved over with concrete & asphalt. That there can sometimes hinder the signal with ground conductivity. Even WYLL isn't immune from nighttime interference from KSL. When I drove thru Chicago (both along I-94 & along US 41, which includes the south side), WYLL can still be heard, but KSL still bleeds over. The same thing happened when WYLL still transmitted from the Park Ridge site at night, but KSL barely bled over, since the signal was able to reach the city better.

Since I was a kid when then WPNT-AM was broadcasting at night, I have no idea how reception was. If then WPNT-AM had their towers in the city, then it might have been possible for them to be heard at night. Too bad there isn't much land left in Chicago to erect any new towers. Even so, 820 is now licensed to Willow Springs, and needs to cover Willow Springs at night more than Chicago.

 

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The "old" WAIT signal was aimed East-North East from Elmhurst with it's 1 Kilowatt. It was a narrow cigar shaped beam that hit the north parts of Chicago pretty well but lacked a bit on the south. Without doubt WBAP could be heard while driving along Lake Shore Drive through the city. In fact WBAP could be hear easily when you were only 1/2 mile behind the directional antenna array...nothing being radiated towards WBAP!

The WYLL signal, which I also maintained as Chief Engineer, was aimed South East from the DesPlaines site with a 5 kilowatt power. It too had issues in the city...but KSL was the skywave that clobbered it.

Now WYLL uses 6 towers in Lockport to aim its 50 KW signal straight north. That signal does better than the old DesPlaines night signal and has garnered many reception reports from Finland and other places in that direction. But still KSL can be heard every now and then when you are on the fringe of it's coverage.