Great AM catches

[pianoplayer88key]

Oddly WTIC 1080 has a poor signal into SW Connecticut DAYS. Even a night it is never very good.


So it shows how some signals get out in strange ways.


As to the ocean here I have yet to observe anything fantastic but I think it is all blocked by Long Island. The coast here in SW Connecticut.

Speaking of WTIC's daytime signal... how strong (or weak) is it on a small radio (with a 4" or smaller loopstick) at about 180 miles over land?  Would it still be stronger than this 500-watt on 1290 at 182 miles, heard on the Tecsun PL-606, or this 1kW on 1490 at the same location?
If WTIC is actually WEAKER than that, then in an area like the Northeast USA how low on the dial would you have to go with a 50kW station to have that strength in the above recordings at 180 miles?

 

[BRNout]

It used to be the case that you could hold on to WTIC as far west as the Poconos in NE PA before losing them (less than 180 miles). Headed northeast, they are very weak by the time you get to the Boston area and barely hanging on to a trace of a signal by southern NH (120 miles). The ground conductivity in this region is very poor, which may explain why WTIC has less than stellar groundwave coverage. WBZ's is quite a bit better, likely because they have a more advantageous tx site (Hull, MA) and because they are slightly directional away from the Atlantic - throwing the equivalent of more than 50 kw to the north, south and west.

Their strongest direction during the day seems to be southward, certainly courtesy of good ground conductivity once you get to the coastline. I've heard them quite clearly at midday from a barrier island just south of Atlantic City, NJ (about 185 miles). WBZ's signal at that spot was receivable, but much weaker.

WTIC's nighttime skywave signal has been seriously degraded over the past decade. Between encroachment from newly licensed locals on 1080 and from IBOC jammers on 1060 and 1090, they are an extremely tough catch as close as the midwest. I did copy them a few months ago from Green Bay, WI - but have been unable to do so from the Chicago area. They were impressive into eastern Ontario though - throwing a ton of bricks signal into Pembroke, ON. Still, its hardly the "38 states" coverage that they once erroneously boasted back in the 70s.

 

[cd637299]

I did get WTIC 1080 daytime in Bermuda in June 2005. Not strong, mind you; I gave it a "1" on a 1-10 scale (WINS 1010 NYC got a "4", and WTAR 850 Norfolk got a "5" from me as the strongest Stateside signal).

This was with a Superadio II or III on batteries, and Select-a-Tenna.

cd

 

[radioman148]

It used to be the case that you could hold on to WTIC as far west as the Poconos in NE PA before losing them (less than 180 miles). Headed northeast, they are very weak by the time you get to the Boston area and barely hanging on to a trace of a signal by southern NH (120 miles). The ground conductivity in this region is very poor, which may explain why WTIC has less than stellar groundwave coverage. WBZ's is quite a bit better, likely because they have a more advantageous tx site (Hull, MA) and because they are slightly directional away from the Atlantic - throwing the equivalent of more than 50 kw to the north, south and west.

Their strongest direction during the day seems to be southward, certainly courtesy of good ground conductivity once you get to the coastline. I've heard them quite clearly at midday from a barrier island just south of Atlantic City, NJ (about 185 miles). WBZ's signal at that spot was receivable, but much weaker.

WTIC's nighttime skywave signal has been seriously degraded over the past decade. Between encroachment from newly licensed locals on 1080 and from IBOC jammers on 1060 and 1090, they are an extremely tough catch as close as the midwest. I did copy them a few months ago from Green Bay, WI - but have been unable to do so from the Chicago area. They were impressive into eastern Ontario though - throwing a ton of bricks signal into Pembroke, ON. Still, its hardly the "38 states" coverage that they once erroneously boasted back in the 70s.

I used to be able to hear WTIC at night in the Chicago area fighting it out with KRLD. However these days WNWI has put an end to that.

 

[radioman148]

At night at the Outer Banks, nothing spectacular on AM. No trans-atlantic DX was hear, wasn't expecting any anyways. The Cubans were pretty loud here, with ticks and RR signals on 570. It was difficult to hear WSCR at night with the loud Cuban 670. Also hear some tropical or Cuban 1060 mixed in with KYW. WOR was mixed in with the Cuban 710 as well. Other NYC 50kW stations were heard clearly here. WBZ's IBOC was loud, making it hard to hear KDKA and WHO. Even WTIC wasn't strong. The Cuban 1180 was mixed in with WHAM. WORD 950 in Spartanburg, SC was heard pretty well here. (Yes, the call letters is WORD). I had two different oldies 1590s at the same time, no ID's, one was probably in eastern TN. The lightning static crashes seemed louder than usual, not sure why, when a line of thunderstorms were in south central VA and northern NC at the same time. (These storms moved toward Hampton Roads and Outer Banks)

Did you hear any other Chicago stations besides WSCR?

 

[ddsparxx]

I heard WGN, WBBM, WLS and WMVP with fairly reliable and listenable signals. I don't think I heard WYLL; I was getting WOBM in NJ instead.

 

[Steve_Green]

WBZ's signal might be a bit more than slightly away from the Atlantic, BRN. It's kinda like they know not too many people live that way, hi. I've gotten them in Northeast Philly in broad daylight before sunset, louder than KYW .....

Terrific catch with WNYW 970, DDSparxx. They upped their wattage in the recent decade or so, but on another forum a lot of the talk about their low ratings was because of the signal issue .....

WTIC 1080 comes in here to NE PA at night in a grumpy but regular way. They do pull theirs in a little toward Dallas's KRLD, so they're not the boomer that WBZ can be. But WGY Schenectady has an equally substandard signal vis-a-vis WTIC's. The engineering folk here would be able to say how much of that is blamed on ground conductivity and how much of it gets lost in the frequent Auroral conditions of the north ......

I have to locate a list of some Outer Banks DX in the 70's which a buddy of mine mailed me. WHLI Long Island was there, and so was the Big Ape 690. I remember that 1000-watt WGBB Long Island was on the list, as well as WIBG 990 Philly. 'So THAT'S where it all goes,' my buddy wrote .....

 

[radioman148]

I heard WGN, WBBM, WLS and WMVP with fairly reliable and listenable signals. I don't think I heard WYLL; I was getting WOBM in NJ instead.

Thanks.

 

[pianoplayer88key]

It used to be the case that you could hold on to WTIC as far west as the Poconos in NE PA before losing them (less than 180 miles).  Headed northeast, they are very weak by the time you get to the Boston area and barely hanging on to a trace of a signal by southern NH (120 miles).  The ground conductivity in this region is very poor, which may explain why WTIC has less than stellar groundwave coverage.

But WGY Schenectady has an equally substandard signal vis-a-vis WTIC's.    The engineering folk here would be able to say how much of that is blamed on ground conductivity and how much of it gets lost in the frequent Auroral conditions of the north ......

Ahh.. so 50kW WTIC on 1080 seems to fade to the NE around 120 miles, at a shorter distance than the 500-watt on 1290 and the 1 kW on 1490 I linked clips of in my previous post?   Interesting...
What about WGY Schenectady?  I would think on 810 and 50kW with a 1/2-wave antenna it would beat those lower power higher frequency stations I mentioned.  What's WGY's signal like at 180 miles, or how far do you go before it sounds like the clips I linked in my previous post?

OH....  one thing I probably should mention, about hearing that 500-watt on 1290 and the 1 kW on 1490 from 182 miles away when I made those recordings (not at home)...  except for maybe less than a total of a mile, the entire path is saltwater.

At a comparable distance to WTIC to southern NH, I think my reception at home of 1070 KNX Los Angeles could easily beat that, based on your description.  Here it is on the barefoot Tecsun PL-380, and on a chain-link fence with the Select-A-Tenna and PL-606.  Some, but not all of the path, is saltwater.  Interestingly, KNX 1070 at 111 miles is slightly stronger here than KFI 640 at 99 miles.  BTW those recordings were made a couple years ago on a slightly less sensitive radio; KNX was running IBOC and KFI was not at the time.  They may almost sound comparable, but as I move around the house KFI is more prone to fades than KNX, and KNX's signal usually indicates a few dB stronger than KFI on the Tecsun PL-380 and PL-606.

 

[shepaug]

Before my time there was allot of DX. (so I calculate) I'd guess much was possible by clear channels.

Just KSL 1160 was a regular every night. Options now ?

820..1200 Texas was normal any night.


Old days ? 1930's ? 1940's ? 1950's ? Just because a station was not a 50kw'er did not mean it did not get out.

I have a total non-scientific theory. The antennas. So many had antennas mounted on buildings. All the metal in the building should act as some type of ground. o--poor ground wave ? Maybe it was better for sky-wave ? (nothing to back up those delusional thoughts)


Old qsl collections would contain all kinds of odd ball stations and not just a 50 kw'er.



2011 here ? I did get a nice ID from KFAT Tulsa,OK 1170 one night.


Not much else of any distance. --except maybe the Spanish stations that I do not understand--


Too much interference here in NE USA. (Connecticut)


WTIC 1080 was off for a couple nights this year. (??) Some picked up other 1080 stations but when I tuned there was always something there but impossible to make out.(identification)


http://www.nrcdxas.org/qsl/index1.html

 

[schmave]

It used to be the case that you could hold on to WTIC as far west as the Poconos in NE PA before losing them (less than 180 miles). Headed northeast, they are very weak by the time you get to the Boston area and barely hanging on to a trace of a signal by southern NH (120 miles). The ground conductivity in this region is very poor, which may explain why WTIC has less than stellar groundwave coverage. WBZ's is quite a bit better, likely because they have a more advantageous tx site (Hull, MA) and because they are slightly directional away from the Atlantic - throwing the equivalent of more than 50 kw to the north, south and west.

Their strongest direction during the day seems to be southward, certainly courtesy of good ground conductivity once you get to the coastline. I've heard them quite clearly at midday from a barrier island just south of Atlantic City, NJ (about 185 miles). WBZ's signal at that spot was receivable, but much weaker.

WTIC's nighttime skywave signal has been seriously degraded over the past decade. Between encroachment from newly licensed locals on 1080 and from IBOC jammers on 1060 and 1090, they are an extremely tough catch as close as the midwest. I did copy them a few months ago from Green Bay, WI - but have been unable to do so from the Chicago area. They were impressive into eastern Ontario though - throwing a ton of bricks signal into Pembroke, ON. Still, its hardly the "38 states" coverage that they once erroneously boasted back in the 70s.

I used to hear WTIC much better here in Ohio as recently as 10 years ago. You hardly can get them at all here anymore ... there's as much a chance of hearing KRLD here as WTIC. That never used to happen.

 

[vibe]

TIC and KRLD were fighting it out on I 81 in VA early one morning between New Market and Roanoke VA. Both were really too weak to really listen to..

 

[radioman148]

TIC and KRLD were fighting it out on I 81 in VA early one morning between New Market and Roanoke VA. Both were really too weak to really listen to..

Getting KRLD is pretty impressive unless they were on their ND pattern.

 

[vibe]

But it wasn't much of a signal; one really wouldn't want to listen to it for program content. I positively ID'd both 1080's plus 820 DFW. Wasn't much to do but drive and DX.