DX ALERT: AM 1140 IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

[jvparent]

KHTK-AM 1140 in Sacramento is signing off for about three hours late Thursday night, just after midnight. They'll be periodically off and on for maintenance. Should be a good chance to pick up neighboring CKWX Vancouver, the 1140 signals in Las Vegas and elsewhere; and AM 1150 in Los Angeles.

 

[radioman148]

KHTK-AM 1140 in Sacramento is signing off for about three hours late Thursday night, just after midnight. They'll be periodically off and on for maintenance. Should be a good chance to pick up neighboring CKWX Vancouver, the 1140 signals in Las Vegas and elsewhere; and AM 1150 in Los Angeles.

Isn't there also an 1140 in Palm Springs?

 

[davideduardo]

Isn't there also an 1140 in Palm Springs?

It barely goes 6 to 7 miles at night.

 

[radioman148]

Isn't there also an 1140 in Palm Springs?

It barely goes 6 to 7 miles at night.

I didn't realize it was that weak.

 

[stormy01]

Isn't there also an 1140 in Palm Springs?

It barely goes 6 to 7 miles at night.

I didn't realize it was that weak.

That's terrible...what a waste of electricity! (KNTQ) Is the ground conductivity that poor and/or is their tower system in major disrepair?

 

[davideduardo]

That's terrible...what a waste of electricity! (KNTQ) Is the ground conductivity that poor and/or is their tower system in major disrepair?

It's a relatively new install, and well kept up. It's just off the I-10 NE of Cathedral City, but it shoots all the night power SW, over Palm Springs. At night, by the time you get up the 111 to the mall in Palm Desert, it is gone. Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio, etc., have no night signal.

The ground conductivity is effectively as bad as anywhere I have seen. None of the AMs covers the whole market, even daytime. The 970 in Coachella and 1140 in Palm Springs and the 1250 in 29 Palms are simulcast to cover most of the market.

That is in part why there are only 7 AM shares for the 8 AMs licensed to the market.

 

[radioman148]

That's terrible...what a waste of electricity! (KNTQ) Is the ground conductivity that poor and/or is their tower system in major disrepair?

It's a relatively new install, and well kept up. It's just off the I-10 NE of Cathedral City, but it shoots all the night power SW, over Palm Springs. At night, by the time you get up the 111 to the mall in Palm Desert, it is gone. Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio, etc., have no night signal.

The ground conductivity is effectively as bad as anywhere I have seen. None of the AMs covers the whole market, even daytime. The 970 in Coachella and 1140 in Palm Springs and the 1250 in 29 Palms are simulcast to cover most of the market.

That is in part why there are only 7 AM shares for the 8 AMs licensed to the market.

I haven't been to the Coachella valley in over 10 years, but I don't remember their signal being that bad at night. Did 1140 change their pattern?
Also, from my visits in the past I remember 920AM having the best daytime signal, but quite weak at night.

 

[davideduardo]

[
I haven't been to the Coachella valley in over 10 years, but I don't remember their signal being that bad at night. Did 1140 change their pattern?
Also, from my visits in the past I remember 920AM having the best daytime signal, but quite weak at night.

The growth in the Coachella Valley has been mostly in the Indian Wells / Bermuda Dunes / La Quinta / Indio area. Neither 920 nor 1140 have good signals that direction... and the lower powered stations are even worse.

1140 simply has a signal that points right at San Jacinto, and is severedly nulled beyond Rancho Mirage. And that is where the population is stagnant. 920 is gone at night on the 111 once you leave Rancho Mirage for Palm Desert.

 

[radioman148]

[
I haven't been to the Coachella valley in over 10 years, but I don't remember their signal being that bad at night. Did 1140 change their pattern?
Also, from my visits in the past I remember 920AM having the best daytime signal, but quite weak at night.

The growth in the Coachella Valley has been mostly in the Indian Wells / Bermuda Dunes / La Quinta / Indio area. Neither 920 nor 1140 have good signals that direction... and the lower powered stations are even worse.

1140 simply has a signal that points right at San Jacinto, and is severedly nulled beyond Rancho Mirage. And that is where the population is stagnant. 920 is gone at night on the 111 once you leave Rancho Mirage for Palm Desert.

I guess they can't cover their eastern population spread at night.

 

[davideduardo]

[
I haven't been to the Coachella valley in over 10 years, but I don't remember their signal being that bad at night. Did 1140 change their pattern?
Also, from my visits in the past I remember 920AM having the best daytime signal, but quite weak at night.

The growth in the Coachella Valley has been mostly in the Indian Wells / Bermuda Dunes / La Quinta / Indio area. Neither 920 nor 1140 have good signals that direction... and the lower powered stations are even worse.

1140 simply has a signal that points right at San Jacinto, and is severedly nulled beyond Rancho Mirage. And that is where the population is stagnant. 920 is gone at night on the 111 once you leave Rancho Mirage for Palm Desert.

I guess they can't cover their eastern population spread at night.

They are pretty noisy in the car, and near unlistenable indoors in LQ daytime.