DIRECTIONAL PATTERNS

[radioman148]

As I recall, KRLA was forced to maintain a directional antenna days in order to protect 1130 KHZ in San Diego. I believe their 10 KW at night and their restrictive night pattern towards the east was a result of an unjustified interference complaint from KFAB in Omaha. I assume protecting 1130 KHZ at night was also a consideration.

WBT and KFAB are the dominant stations on 1110. KFAB was originally on 780 in Lincoln, then moved Post NARBA to 1110, sharing with Charlotte, and allowing soon after the creation of KXLA in Pasadena. KXLA had to severely protect Nebraska and NC.

KFAB comes into the Chicago area most of the time. The only time I hear WBT is at sunrise or sunset when they go on their daytime pattern.

 

[radioman148]

1520 out of Oke City (whatever the hell it is now) is still do-able in the Chicago area, but it now takes a little trying to pull it out of the slop.

The old top-40 KOMA, now KOKC, was one of my favorites (along with WLS) when I was in high school in the Dallas area. A pretty good signal during the day, but at night it became a lot more interesting: www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=KOKC&service=AM&status=L&hours=N Check out that little "spike" pointed toward the south; in my hometown of Irving, just west of Dallas, the signal was sometimes fairly steady on the east side of town. Just a few miles to the west though, KOMA would suffer severe fading. At the time I was an avid short-wave listener so I was used to very long, very deep fading; with its high dial position the KOMA sky-wave signal behaved just like many trans-oceanic stations. Fact is, it was often a tough listen that would almost make you dizzy, but what a great station it was!

I have a 90-minute aircheck of KOMA from the early 90s in a box somewhere that I made on a winter night from a rural area in eastern Utah. It almost never faded there! I think that, in 90 minutes, there may have been 1 very short fade and basically no hets either. For most of the aircheck it sounded as if I taped it from somewhere like El Reno, OK. They had incredible signal coverage in the mountain west and farther east into the high plains. I remember the jocks acknowledging request calls from Manitoba and Saskatchewan!

Also did well through the plains and I did get it well in Iowa at night too. However, haven't had any luck from the Chicago area as yet. The skywave signal seemed to really die off once you got east of the Mississippi River.

Too bad Renda blew out the oldies simulcast. Now it's not recognizable - just talk, and low-rent talk at that.

KOMA was a regular catch for me in Chicago in the 60s & 70s. Now there's much more interference.

 

[gar hi]

WBT has an amazing signal down here at night. It doesn't even seem like your typical distant nighttime only AM station. If they were right along the coast and had that directional pattern during the day, I'll bet they'd be heard from New England to Miami.

 

[cyberdad]

(KOMA)
They had incredible signal coverage in the mountain west and farther east into the high plains. I remember the jocks acknowledging request calls from Manitoba and Saskatchewan!

Also did well through the plains and I did get it well in Iowa at night too. However, haven't had any luck from the Chicago area as yet. The skywave signal seemed to really die off once you got east of the Mississippi River.
.

The signal was also pretty decent in the Northwest half of Wisconsin, which is basically east of the Mississippi. But south of there, you're right, the signal pretty much dies when you leave Iowa.

My memory of KOMA during my misspent Iowa college days in the 60s....other than Charlie Tuna, John Timm, Charles Edwin Stone (news), Dale Weeba, etc....were all the nighttime ads for bands, gigs, dances etc. from all over Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas. An area where 1520 came blasting in with what was essentially a city grade nighttime signal.

"The Fabulous Flippers" of Lawrence, KS comes to mind. I still have their cover of "Harlem Shuffle" on my Ipod.

 

[radioman148]

(KOMA)
They had incredible signal coverage in the mountain west and farther east into the high plains. I remember the jocks acknowledging request calls from Manitoba and Saskatchewan!

Also did well through the plains and I did get it well in Iowa at night too. However, haven't had any luck from the Chicago area as yet. The skywave signal seemed to really die off once you got east of the Mississippi River.
.

The signal was also pretty decent in the Northwest half of Wisconsin, which is basically east of the Mississippi. But south of there, you're right, the signal pretty much dies when you leave Iowa.

My memory of KOMA during my misspent Iowa college days in the 60s....other than Charlie Tuna, John Timm, Charles Edwin Stone (news), Dale Weeba, etc....were all the nighttime ads for bands, gigs, dances etc. from all over Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas. An area where 1520 came blasting in with what was essentially a city grade nighttime signal.

"The Fabulous Flippers" of Lawrence, KS comes to mind. I still have their cover of "Harlem Shuffle" on my Ipod.

Don't forget newsman Vince Smith who on weekends had a DJ slot on KOMA. I listened during my misspent college days too. ;D

 

[Steve Green NEPA]

Wasn't too long ago, maybe two years, that I'd read about a poster who'd been a regular listener to KAAY 1090 as a teen. He'd cadge the car-radio dial away from his Dad at the wheel and tune in KAAY.

In Minneapolis.

 

[radioman148]

Wasn't too long ago, maybe two years, that I'd read about a poster who'd been a regular listener to KAAY 1090 as a teen. He'd cadge the car-radio dial away from his Dad at the wheel and tune in KAAY.

In Minneapolis.

KAAY used to blast into Chicago at night. Now their signal is less than half of what it once was.

 

[cyberdad]

Don't forget newsman Vince Smith who on weekends had a DJ slot on KOMA. I listened during my misspent college days too.  ;D

Unfortunately, I'm drawing a blank on the guy.  As was pointed out in another thread, Storz brought in loads of top-notch talent. 

Someone also advanced the opinion that KOMA was a superior product than WLS.  I don't think you can really compare the two.  To a large extent they were different animals.  I personally preferred KOMA to WLS because it had less clutter and a better nighttime signal where I was

 

[WCJ]

Having vacationed with family at relatives in Kerrville, TX in the 50's & 60's we kids
stations of choice were KLVI, KOMA & WKY after the San Antonio stations, KTSA & KONO went directional. Being at an altitude of about 1600' helped. There was some fading from them, but not much. Don't know if this still holds true. Haven't been back out there since about 1969 or 1970.

 

[BobOnTheJob]

Wasn't too long ago, maybe two years, that I'd read about a poster who'd been a regular listener to KAAY 1090 as a teen. He'd cadge the car-radio dial away from his Dad at the wheel and tune in KAAY.

In Minneapolis.

Did the same thing to my pappy with WABC...In Cincinnati. He didn't like the music, but he let me have control of the radio & look where it landed me...In Radio!

 

[dlf]

Having vacationed with family at relatives in Kerrville, TX in the 50's & 60's we kids
stations of choice were KLVI, KOMA & WKY after the San Antonio stations, KTSA & KONO went directional. Being at an altitude of about 1600' helped. There was some fading from them, but not much. Don't know if this still holds true. Haven't been back out there since about 1969 or 1970.

[I live in the Hill Country about 60 miles east of Kerrville; KLVI still comes in at night as does 1520 out of Oklahoma City (now KOKC). I'm going to have to try WKY and see how they fare these days. KTSA puts a good signal into the Canyon Lake area at night; KONO at 860 struggles.

dlf

 

[Icangelp]

Wasn't too long ago, maybe two years, that I'd read about a poster who'd been a regular listener to KAAY 1090 as a teen. He'd cadge the car-radio dial away from his Dad at the wheel and tune in KAAY.

In Minneapolis.

Did the same thing to my pappy with WABC...In Cincinnati. He didn't like the music, but he let me have control of the radio & look where it landed me...In Radio!

You were in Cincinnati trying to hear New York and we were in Indianapolis trying to hear WSAI Cincinnati with Ron Brittain, Paul (Dick) Purtin, Dusty Rhodes, Roy Cooper and the rest.

First listened to rock on WIBC and WISH in Indy. Dick Summer, the night jock on WIBC used to broadcast his unique show from a atop a local drive in restaurant and then moved on to New York City. Barney Pip passed through on WISH. But they left, and we switched to out of town stations.

Our favorite D.J.'s in the early 60's were Bruce Bradley at WBZ, Ron Brittain at WSAI, Dick Biondi and Bruce Morrow.

Got to listen to KAAY and KOMA when I lived in Kansas City back in the late 60's. There was a disc jockey on KAAY who was doing an progressive rock show that was very entertaining and probably introduced the music to a whole lot of midwest teens who had no access in their local markets. Can't remember his name, but found his web site a couple of years ago. The University of Kansas FM station KANU had a progressive rock show also. KC had KUDL and WHB.

That was then.

 

[charlestondxman]

That progressive rock show was called Beaker Street, and it was well known around the Midwest.

Garfla, WBT has a great signal all up and down the East Coast, but in the Charleston area (only 175 miles or so from the transmitter), the signal is weaker than you expect. It gets interfrence from other stations, like WTAM (which is very strong in our area).

I was down in FL (Tampa area) last year, and WBT had a huge signal for such a long way away. It also comes in strong all the way up in the Boston area, but that signal has signal troubles at night in west Charlotte, and in Spartanburg, can barely be heard sometimes at night. Even in Athens, GA, it has signal trouble because of its pattern.

 

[schmave]

That progressive rock show was called Beaker Street, and it was well known around the Midwest.

Garfla, WBT has a great signal all up and down the East Coast, but in the Charleston area (only 175 miles or so from the transmitter), the signal is weaker than you expect. It gets interfrence from other stations, like WTAM (which is very strong in our area).

I was down in FL (Tampa area) last year, and WBT had a huge signal for such a long way away. It also comes in strong all the way up in the Boston area, but that signal has signal troubles at night in west Charlotte, and in Spartanburg, can barely be heard sometimes at night. Even in Athens, GA, it has signal trouble because of its pattern.

Charleston might be in a cancellation zone; no way it's in WBT's null. I remember WOWO was never very strong at night in Columbus, Ohio, about the same distance from Fort Wayne as you are from Charlotte. I always figured the skywave went right over us!
WBT isn't particularly impressive in Columbus, either, and we certainly aren't in the main null but by no means get the full signal blasting our way.

 

[gar hi]

Garfla, WBT has a great signal all up and down the East Coast, but in the Charleston area (only 175 miles or so from the transmitter), the signal is weaker than you expect. It gets interfrence from other stations, like WTAM (which is very strong in our area).

I was referring to what a possible daytime signal would be like if WBT had it's transmitter right at the coast in a N/S directional pattern.

 

[radioman148]

Wasn't too long ago, maybe two years, that I'd read about a poster who'd been a regular listener to KAAY 1090 as a teen. He'd cadge the car-radio dial away from his Dad at the wheel and tune in KAAY.

In Minneapolis.

Did the same thing to my pappy with WABC...In Cincinnati. He didn't like the music, but he let me have control of the radio & look where it landed me...In Radio!

You were in Cincinnati trying to hear New York and we were in Indianapolis trying to hear WSAI Cincinnati with Ron Brittain, Paul (Dick) Purtin, Dusty Rhodes, Roy Cooper and the rest.

First listened to rock on WIBC and WISH in Indy. Dick Summer, the night jock on WIBC used to broadcast his unique show from a atop a local drive in restaurant and then moved on to New York City. Barney Pip passed through on WISH. But they left, and we switched to out of town stations.

Our favorite D.J.'s in the early 60's were Bruce Bradley at WBZ, Ron Brittain at WSAI, Dick Biondi and Bruce Morrow.

Got to listen to KAAY and KOMA when I lived in Kansas City back in the late 60's. There was a disc jockey on KAAY who was doing an progressive rock show that was very entertaining and probably introduced the music to a whole lot of midwest teens who had no access in their local markets. Can't remember his name, but found his web site a couple of years ago. The University of Kansas FM station KANU had a progressive rock show also. KC had KUDL and WHB.

That was then.

Dick Biondi, Cousin Brucie, & Bruce Bradley were also my early 60s favorites in that order.
Biondi is still on every weeknight on WLS-FM. The man is the energizer bunny.

 

[BobOnTheJob]

Wasn't too long ago, maybe two years, that I'd read about a poster who'd been a regular listener to KAAY 1090 as a teen. He'd cadge the car-radio dial away from his Dad at the wheel and tune in KAAY.

In Minneapolis.

Did the same thing to my pappy with WABC...In Cincinnati. He didn't like the music, but he let me have control of the radio & look where it landed me...In Radio!

You were in Cincinnati trying to hear New York and we were in Indianapolis trying to hear WSAI Cincinnati with Ron Brittain, Paul (Dick) Purtin, Dusty Rhodes, Roy Cooper and the rest.

First listened to rock on WIBC and WISH in Indy. Dick Summer, the night jock on WIBC used to broadcast his unique show from a atop a local drive in restaurant and then moved on to New York City. Barney Pip passed through on WISH. But they left, and we switched to out of town stations.

Our favorite D.J.'s in the early 60's were Bruce Bradley at WBZ, Ron Brittain at WSAI, Dick Biondi and Bruce Morrow.

Got to listen to KAAY and KOMA when I lived in Kansas City back in the late 60's. There was a disc jockey on KAAY who was doing an progressive rock show that was very entertaining and probably introduced the music to a whole lot of midwest teens who had no access in their local markets. Can't remember his name, but found his web site a couple of years ago. The University of Kansas FM station KANU had a progressive rock show also. KC had KUDL and WHB.

That was then.

And in the Spring of 1977, I was straining to hear Chris Bailey screaming away on WNDE 1260 from Indy. We all want what we don't have.

We had a GREAT station in Cincy in the mid 1960's that you had no chance of hearing in Indy. Boss Radio WUBE (1230) had Big Al Law, Bwanna Johnny & a whole host of "Drake Jocks" and the Johnny Mann Singer jingles to back them up...WSAI was good but WUBE's little 1KW day / 250 watt night signal sounded even better. Ron Britian...saw him at a remote at a drive in restaurant when I was 9. I don't recall what left the bigger impression...seeing those HUGE early 1960's broadcast turntables (maybe they weren't as big as they looked to my juvenile eyes) or watching Ron Britian talk into the microphone and hearing it come out of the car radio. I was in sensory overload...that was the coolest thing I had seen to date.

 

[vibe]

I have received and ID'd the 1090 Little Rock and 1520 OKC from Englewood FL but these are not regular nitely catches. Same (but much less often) for 740 Houston and the watered down 1190 Ft . Wayne.
And WBT 1110 is a monster here in Mass and in SW Fla.
Despite severe nulls on the first 2 in my direction there's some signal out there to be captured on occasion.
Interesting thread, I first became interested in radio while listinging to KB 1520 in bed ( New Britain CT) at nite with WPOP Hartford, WABC, and CKLW as "backups." WKBW had a consistently stronger signal than local 1360 WDRC whose transmitter was probably 10-15 mi away. But SOMETIME KB 1520 would fade for 15 sec or so but in the middle of a good song. And yes we got WLS in those days..
I remember the 2 most distant stations most consistently received from that location were 1120 St Louis (for the Cards games) and 1040 Des Moines. And getting Ft. Worth on 820 on several very rare occasions was priceless.

 

[radioman148]

I have received and ID'd the 1090 Little Rock and 1520 OKC from Englewood FL but these are not regular nitely catches. Same (but much less often) for 740 Houston and the watered down 1190 Ft . Wayne.
And WBT 1110 is a monster here in Mass and in SW Fla.
Despite severe nulls on the first 2 in my direction there's some signal out there to be captured on occasion.
Interesting thread, I first became interested in radio while listinging to KB 1520 in bed ( New Britain CT) at nite with WPOP Hartford, WABC, and CKLW as "backups." WKBW had a consistently stronger signal than local 1360 WDRC whose transmitter was probably 10-15 mi away. But SOMETIME KB 1520 would fade for 15 sec or so but in the middle of a good song. And yes we got WLS in those days..
I remember the 2 most distant stations most consistently received from that location were 1120 St Louis (for the Cards games) and 1040 Des Moines. And getting Ft. Worth on 820 on several very rare occasions was priceless.

I'm surprised you can hear the neutered WOWO in Florida. WBT is rarely heard in the midwest due to KFAB.

 

[gr8oldies]

WOWO doesn't do badly in Tennessee even after the downgrade.