How effective is WAZN's signal?

[Varulven]

I've been trying to get WAZN's signal, but it doesn't exist in Medford as far as I can see (or hear), and
in Woburn it is chock full of static. A friend of mine gets the signal in Andover OK, but it seems from the coverage map that the signal goes out to sea at night. I hear clearer signals on the Expanded Band, most likely pirate. Any thoughts?

WAZN
http://www.answers.com/topic/wazn-1

Multi Cultural Broadcasting
http://www.mrbi.net/

http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?sr=Y&call=WAZN

WAZN-AM 1470 kHz
Watertown, Massachusetts

Daytime 1400 watts
Nightime 3400 watts

coverage map daytime
http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WAZN&service=AM&status=L&hours=D

coverage map nighttime (seems to go out to sea a la WUNR)
http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WAZN&service=AM&status=L&hours=N

 

[Eli Polonsky]

I get it in Somerville, but it's weak.

 

[DanStrassberg]

I've been trying to get WAZN's signal, but it doesn't exist in Medford as far as I can see (or hear), and
in Woburn it is chock full of static. A friend of mine gets the signal in Andover OK, but it seems from the coverage map that the signal goes out to sea at night. I hear clearer signals on the Expanded Band, most likely pirate. Any thoughts?

According to the pretty accurate V-Soft signal-strength by ZIP code Web site, WAZN's daytime signal in ZIPs 02153 and 02155 (Medford) ranges from about 3.5 mV/m to 4 mV/m. That certainly isn't great but it should be receivable with even a half-decent AM radio. Many AM radios are way less than half decent and you could easily have one or more of those. You need to place your best (most senstive) AM radio near an outside window and then slowly rotate it about a vertical axis at least 180 degrees. If the radio is properly tuned to 1470, chances are it will pick up WAZN. Maybe the signal is being covered by interference from a computer, flourescent light, cable modem, or other electrical device. If so, keep checking; such interfence can come and go. If it goes, you should hear the signal.

At night, because of its higher night power and radically different directional pattern, WAZN should come in quite well in Medford. V-soft reports 12 to 13 mV/m, which is only marginally less than WAZN's NIF (nighttime interference-free) signal strength of 15 mV/m. NIF refers to interference from other stations, not from electrical gadgets, so you can still have interference from those, but it should be less than in the daytime. Nighttime interference from other stations (at least stations on 1460, 1470, and 1480) should be minimal.

I read another of your postings on this subject elsewhere. Your comment about WAZN's night signal mostly going out to see shows that you simply don't understand AM coverage. There really is only one AM in the Boston market whose signal does not, as you put it, go out to sea. That's WBZ. With the exception of a few Class A AMs (of which WBZ is one--and the only one in this market), the majority of AMs on the east coast have their transmitters (at least their nighttime transmitters) a few miles west of their CoL and directionalize more-or-less to the east to protect stations inland. That is the case with WEEI, WWZN, and to a lesser extent with WRKO as well as with the lower-powered fulltime Boston-market AMs. WAZN is one of those. For a station that moved into the market just a few years ago, WAZN's nighttime coverage of the market is quite good--not good enough for the station to be licensed to Boston, but good enough for the station to be heard pretty well throughout the city at night.

 

[jane grant]

I can't get it in Burlington.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

I can't get it in Burlington.

You should be able to get it in Burlington, especially on their daytime pattern. Maybe not as well at night, but it should still be there. As Dan said, check out your radio, antenna, etc... and if inside a building, place your radio or antenna near a window and make sure it's away from sources of electrical interference.

 

[Neggy]

I get it in Woburn, on the second floor of an office building, on a really crappy 39 dollar boombox surrounded by computers and florescent lights. I have a name for that boombox it is called an air monitor.