KDKA AM HD?

[xm41]

Are they still broadcasting in AM HD? I can't get it in HD on either of my HD radios in Greentree.
Sony XDR-S3HD
Sangean HDR-16 HD

 

[192khz]

I'll check on my sdr because I only have an insignia FM hd radio.

 

[NewtonSecond]

I don't believe so. I drove near their tower site in my car with HD radio the other day and only got an analog signal.

Also, why is KDKA's signal so bad (at least for me)? Driving through South Side and Oakland it is unlistenable at times. Other, lower-power Pittsburgh AM's like 970 and 1250 come in much better.

Additionally, when I was driving on 422 between New Castle and I-79 at night, 770 WABC from NYC was intelligible but 1020 KDKA was not! Is KDKA not transmitting at the full 50 kW right now, or do they have a bad grounding system or something?

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Additionally, when I was driving on 422 between New Castle and I-79 at night, 770 WABC from NYC was intelligible but 1020 KDKA was not! Is KDKA not transmitting at the full 50 kW right now, or do they have a bad grounding system or something?

You clearly dont understand how groundwave and skywave work if you have to ask this.

 

[DavidEduardo]

Also, why is KDKA's signal so bad (at least for me)? Driving through South Side and Oakland it is unlistenable at times. Other, lower-power Pittsburgh AM's like 970 and 1250 come in much better.

There are lots of conductivity related issues that can cause stations to have weaker signals within their own market.

Additionally, when I was driving on 422 between New Castle and I-79 at night, 770 WABC from NYC was intelligible but 1020 KDKA was not! Is KDKA not transmitting at the full 50 kW right now, or do they have a bad grounding system or something?

There is an area at the edge of what is the primary daytime signal where, at night, the skywave also starts "laying down" and the two can cancel or interfere. This has to do with factors such as the height of the tower and the wavelength and so on, but there is, for every big signal clear channel station, a cancellation zone. And that zone can vary to some extent based on conditions and how low "up in the sky" signals reflect on a given night.

 

[PHIL Z]

In the late 60's early 70's Driving through New Castle during the day I could Not get KDKA on my car radio.

 

[NewtonSecond]

You clearly dont understand how groundwave and skywave work if you have to ask this.

I am aware of the "skip zone" but was not thinking that New Castle was far away enough to be in it, since it is within KDKA's (projected) 2.0 mV/m groundwave service countour. I suppose as DavidEduardo said I was experiencing destructive interference between the groundwave and skywave.

If I recall correctly I've found KDKA's signal to be poor in Pittsburgh proper even during the day.

 

[PHIL Z]

My sister lived in Mannas Va, I lived in Omaha in the 70's at Night KDKA was loud and Clear.

 

[xm41]

My sister lived in Mannas Va, I lived in Omaha in the 70's at Night KDKA was loud and Clear.

Once they switched to the new tower sometime in the 80's/90's the signal was never the same.