Dead stations walking (or dsws)

[Kelly A]

Maybe but in the case of WWKB if you look at Radio-Locator the station covers the market and a little more. I remember it as a dominant signal. Granted WGR at 550 has a great daytime signal but it's non directional. WGR's directional night time signal isn't so great I realize it's 5KW vs 50KW but there are other factors besides dial position.

I know around here we have the tenancies to assume the potential success or failure of an individual station based on licensed coverage or wattage. A lot of that importance has been diluted, especially when it comes to AM stations. There are some stations who are still considered successful for making cash flow, but are lacking any potential for growth. As has been mentioned here; AM reception suffers from terrestrial noise significantly reducing the ability to receive the station. There are a lot of other technical and non factors that have reduced owning AM stations to also-ran status.

 

[davideduardo]

Maybe but in the case of WWKB if you look at Radio-Locator the station covers the market and a little more. I remember it as a dominant signal. Granted WGR at 550 has a great daytime signal but it's non directional. WGR's directional night time signal isn't so great I realize it's 5KW vs 50KW but there are other factors besides dial position.

5kw on 550 is actually significantly better than 50kw on 1520 if each is in a similar conductivity area.

The approximate rule is that 1 kw on 550 is as good as 50 kw on 1500. But your point on the directional night signal of WGR makes it, overall, inferior.

 

[Mike Sheridan]

5kw on 550 is actually significantly better than 50kw on 1520 if each is in a similar conductivity area.

The approximate rule is that 1 kw on 550 is as good as 50 kw on 1500. But your point on the directional night signal of WGR makes it, overall, inferior.

I would say maybe 5KW on 550 is equal to 50KW at 1500 but not 1KW.

Back when it was a 1KW daytimer WEXY Oakland Park (now Wilton Manors) had a good signal in Hollywood, FL. Like I said there are a lot of factors like tower, ground system, transmitter and modulation. Sometimes just dumb luck.

For example WQAM's current site shared with 1360 and 1450 ended up doing much better than the engineers expected. Low dial position sure but they knew that beforehand. You know that calculations were done, they didn't just stick it up there. I'm sure that was considered and still it was a pleasant surprise.

 

[kevtronics]

The 50 kW'ers in the 1500+ kHz range often have a better signal 200-300 miles away at night than they do locally.

iHeart tried an all-podcast format on 1470 WSAN in Allentown, PA, but they're now a Real Oldies affiliate.

 

[KeithE4]

The 50 kW'ers in the 1500+ kHz range often have a better signal 200-300 miles away at night than they do locally.

When the old KMIK/1580 Phoenix transmitted from a 6-tower array in Mesa, they got reception reports from Australia but couldn't be heard in parts of the Phoenix area.

 

[vchimpanzee]

The 50 kW'ers in the 1500+ kHz range often have a better signal 200-300 miles away at night than they do locally.

iHeart tried an all-podcast format on 1470 WSAN in Allentown, PA, but they're now a Real Oldies affiliate.

I've always had trouble with WBT Charlotte east of the city at night but it's heard in New England and Georgia. I think Florida too.

But it's west of the city where they really can't be heard.

 

[secondchoice]

WLAC 1510 Nashville had a good night time signal (considering ground conductivity) when I cruised Nashville at night as a teenager. It worked in Cookeville too which considering the ground conductivity is OK. 1300 the old WMAK was real good if you were in the pattern. 1510 use to come in real good in south Mississippi at night. I believe WLAC could modify their night signal to take some of the north east null out. But with the economics of AM I doubt iHeart will even spend the money to study it.

 

[CTListener]

I've always had trouble with WBT Charlotte east of the city at night but it's heard in New England and Georgia. I think Florida too.

But it's west of the city where they really can't be heard.

Thread drift! Kevtronics was writing about stations at 1500 khz and up. WBT is at 1110.

 

[CTListener]

WLAC 1510 Nashville had a good night time signal (considering ground conductivity) when I cruised Nashville at night as a teenager. It worked in Cookeville too which considering the ground conductivity is OK. 1300 the old WMAK was real good if you were in the pattern. 1510 use to come in real good in south Mississippi at night. I believe WLAC could modify their night signal to take some of the north east null out. But with the economics of AM I doubt iHeart will even spend the money to study it.

Doesn't WLAC still have to protect the co-channel station in Boston?

 

[vchimpanzee]

Thread drift! Kevtronics was writing about stations at 1500 khz and up. WBT is at 1110.

Thought he was writing about 50,000-watt stations.

 

[Signal Geek]

When the old KMIK/1580 Phoenix transmitted from a 6-tower array in Mesa, they got reception reports from Australia but couldn't be heard in parts of the Phoenix area.

At night in San Diego, the old KMIK would overpower the far-closer (and also 50kw) 1580 KBLA in Los Angeles.