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KFI finally!

K

kilokat7

Got up early this morning to check the dials after stringing out the winter wire through the woods last night. My MW DX season has started! I was looking for westerly stations and immediately struck gold when I tuned to 640 as I've done numerous times in the past. There it was - KFI booming in with at least three IDs all within a minute, dominating everything else on 640 for a brief period of time. This was at 7am EST. Of course this was the one time I wasn't recording. I haven't heard KFI here since the late 80s and it's especially tough now in modern times thanks to WMFN in nearby Zeeland, MI. Reception didn't last long and was soon replaced by WWLS, an 814 mile catch. KFI is 1823 miles. I need to get up early more often :)
 
Great job kilokat7!! I was getting on a Global Tuners node in Quebec last night: A 620 rebroadcasting WCBS-880 (WSNR??), 1160 WQRT Florence, KY w/ HS Football, 1170 WWVA, 670 spanish and 630 WMAL Washington, DC, and on my radio here at home I was getting WOAI, WBBM, KSTP, CKUA 580 Edmonton (haven't heard since January), tent. 710 KSPN LA under KIRO and 1110 KFAB Omaha.

-crainbebo
 
Hey, great to hear that Kilokat!

I listened for KFI all last fall/winter season and didn't hear KFI.

I notice you had the same thing happen when you heard it as when I did in early 2009. It comes in pretty good for a short time only and than it's gone.

Same thing happened the one other time I heard them up in New Jersey 33 years ago. After not hearing anything for countless nights and weeks of listening, it came in for a few minutes with a good signal sounding much closer than it really was and then it drifted away for good.
 
Good job Kilokat. No chance for me to get KFI anymore here in the Chicago area with WMFN's strong signal. However, in the 80s & 90s I found that right around sunrise in October was a very good time for getting KFI & KNX on my car radio. Seems the gray line at midwest sunrise favors Southern California this time of year so keep trying.
 
WMFN has always been a problem here too, but they weren't heard this morning for whatever reason. I lost the KFI signal almost as quickly as it popped in, and I was surprised by the strength and clarity the short time it was there - just like KNX last year. By the time I got the recorder setup, it was gone. I'll give it another go tomorrow morning...

Crain - nice on the WBBM - a long haul from Chicago to Washington. Hearing something from Washington state would be a big thrill here.
 
I parked it on 640 this morning (recorder running this time) and endured two hours of hash consisting of WWLS, WMFN, WNNZ, WOI & CFMJ. Then at ten minutes before my official local sunrise, KFI made it's brief appearance again, at nearly the same time I heard them yesterday morning. KFI was mixing with both WWLS and semi-local WMFN. There seems to be only a short window of opportunity to hear KFI here as WMFN must be changing to their day pattern since their signal really pumps up and they obliterate everything else on the channel.

So here it is, KFI as heard from Michigan with three different IDs at second 3, 15 & 33. The regional Mexican is WMFN and ESPN is WWLS.

640 Khz KFI 03OC10 1132 UTC
 
kilokat7 said:
I parked it on 640 this morning (recorder running this time) and endured two hours of hash consisting of WWLS, WMFN, WNNZ, WOI & CFMJ. Then at ten minutes before my official local sunrise, KFI made it's brief appearance again, at nearly the same time I heard them yesterday morning. KFI was mixing with both WWLS and semi-local WMFN. There seems to be only a short window of opportunity to hear KFI here as WMFN must be changing to their day pattern since their signal really pumps up and they obliterate everything else on the channel.

So here it is, KFI as heard from Michigan with three different IDs at second 3, 15 & 33. The regional Mexican is WMFN and ESPN is WWLS.

640 Khz KFI 03OC10 1132 UTC
Click to expand...

Good job Kilokat. I've always found where I am near Chicago, that KFI & KNX have the best chance of being heard right before local sunrise in the fall and here we are.
Years ago before WMFN I used to get KFI fairly strong around 7AM CDT. If you have a chance you also might get lucky with KNX as the fall moves on.
 
kilokat7 said:
So here it is, KFI as heard from Michigan with three different IDs at second 3, 15 & 33. The regional Mexican is WMFN and ESPN is WWLS.

640 Khz KFI 03OC10 1132 UTC
Click to expand...

That was so cool! Thanks for sharing your catch.

I listened last night to 640 and a couple other frequences for almost two hours and I didn't even hear anything but that annoying Cuban station on 640.

I guess it was an over all good night for skip from Cuba because the Cubans were dominating all frequencies. WLS was completely buried too.

Hearing your catch of KFI has motivated me to get one too and post it if that time ever comes.

Again, good job on your catch.
 
Excellent, kilokat7.

Never knowing what the listening night will bring, is one reason I have DXed for so many years.

Now, it's time for you to settle in on 1070 in pursuit of KNX! It could happen.
 
Icangelp said:
Excellent, kilokat7.

Never knowing what the listening night will bring, is one reason I have DXed for so many years.

Now, it's time for you to settle in on 1070 in pursuit of KNX! It could happen.
Click to expand...

Thanks - it's stuff like this that really makes it interesting, and you're right - every night brings different conditions and DX opportunities. As for KNX - I logged them for the first time last December thanks to the all the people who contributed to this KNX thread and provided tips on hearing the station (the tip about the traffic sounder was great).
 
Nice catch indeed from Michigan!

How bad is the WSCR IBOC slop there? KNBR-680 is the most reliable California signal down here in Nashville, but I'm a LOT further from WSCR!
 
WSCR IBOC hash is horrible here too but most of the hash can be removed by adjusting the passband tuning on the SDR and listening in lower sideband mode. 680 then becomes "DXable" again. IDing KNBR may be tough since I see three different ESPN affiliates listed on 680 including WMFS in Memphis which does occasionally make the trip up here during sunrise.
 
kilokat7 said:
WSCR IBOC hash is horrible here too but most of the hash can be removed by adjusting the passband tuning on the SDR and listening in lower sideband mode. 680 then becomes "DXable" again. IDing KNBR may be tough since I see three different ESPN affiliates listed on 680 including WMFS in Memphis which does occasionally make the trip up here during sunrise.
Click to expand...

Did you intend to say Upper Sideband Mode? Isn't Upper Sideband a higher frequency than the carrier frequency? One would want the clearer modulation from the side of the carrier frequency further away from 670 kHz, or 680-690 kHz, not 670-680 kHz (since the digital component of the Hybrid Digital signal from 670 kHz is overlapping the lower sideband of 680 kHz) in the case of trying to hear 680 kHz more clearly...
 
One would want the clearer modulation from the side of the carrier frequency further away from 670 kHz
Click to expand...

You would think so, but no. I'm not an IBOC expert, but it's my understanding that the digital signal actually overlaps the nearest adjacent frequency by 5 khz in either direction. In the case of the WSCR IBOC signal, the core analog signal is 10 khz wide from 665 to 675. Working from the center (670) outward, there are 5 khz wide "quiet" zones from 675-680 (and 660-665). Then from 680-685 (and 665-660) are the dreaded 5 khz wide "hash zones". So as far as I can tell, the IBOC signal overlaps the first adjacent frequency on each side by 5 khz. If I'm wrong, someone please correct me (again I'm no expert - just making observations!)

I've put together a video showing exactly what WSCR's IBOC signal looks like on the waterfall display - it's interesting to analyze. The video also shows how to pull a station out of the hash on 680 using bandwidth shaping and LSB:

http://youtu.be/zPxZtmBhzeE
 
kilokat7 said:
One would want the clearer modulation from the side of the carrier frequency further away from 670 kHz
Click to expand...

You would think so, but no. I'm not an IBOC expert, but it's my understanding that the digital signal actually overlaps the nearest adjacent frequency by 5 khz in either direction. In the case of the WSCR IBOC signal, the core analog signal is 10 khz wide from 665 to 675. Working from the center (670) outward, there are 5 khz wide "quiet" zones from 675-680 (and 660-665). Then from 680-685 (and 665-660) are the dreaded 5 khz wide "hash zones". So as far as I can tell, the IBOC signal overlaps the first adjacent frequency on each side by 5 khz. If I'm wrong, someone please correct me (again I'm no expert - just making observations!)

I've put together a video showing exactly what WSCR's IBOC signal looks like on the waterfall display - it's interesting to analyze. The video also shows how to pull a station out of the hash on 680 using bandwidth shaping and LSB:

http://youtu.be/zPxZtmBhzeE
Click to expand...

Kilokat, that was fascinating! I will have to give it a try!

As interesting as that graphic display was, it was also very sobering and aggravating. Essentially, an HD AM station like 670 gets to broadcast signal on three distinct channels: 670, 660 and 680. It's signal on 680 is from 680-685 and it's distinct from the analog on 670. That's something many others here have probably always known, but which I have simply chalked up to being a wide banded signal mask. It's not, it's three somewhat separate signals in one - with a gap between them. Very enlightening.

In essence, the FCC has permitted certain broadcasters to have 2 extra channels on which to spew audio gibberish! How does that NOT violate the ownership caps? Think about it. Total BS that needs to end........
 
I've read all of these posts about KFI and them being favorable at Michigan sunrise, so I thought I would wake up earlier this morning and give them a shot. I'm happy to report that I was able to confirm a very weak KFI in Coldwater. I heard a traffic report mentioning 'the Southland', followed by a promotion for KFI's talk programs with a KFI station liner.

KFI is my second California station in my location. They are 1,872 miles from here, so they are 18 miles shy of KNX. I'll still take it!

Next stop, San Francisco! Gonna try for KNBR. Tried for them this morning, and got KFEQ for a new log.
 
Good job Lawppy. I've always found over the years that October is an excellent month for West Coast Midwest DX at miswest sunrise.
 
Thanks! I would even run it by other Michigan and even W. Ontario DX'ers to try for KFI right now. 640 is a very crowded frequency along the East Coast, so anywhere east of Akron and Toronto you probably wouldn't have much of a chance with it. It was even difficult for me to confirm them.

I read that kilokat (from West Michigan-- i'm in the South Central part of the state) logged them and thought i'd wake up early just one morning and try for them. Got them on the first try! I think I may try to make this a pattern and get other rare AM stations from the west.

KNBR is next on my list. WSCR I-BLOC will make this one difficult, but the 680 frequency is very similar to 640 where it's jammed along the East Coast, but really opens up once you get to the Midwest, with only two or three stations between here and SF/LA. I think I can get it.
 
Lawppy - congrats on catching KFI from Michigan too!

I thought I had KNBR this morning, but I'm not positive. What I think I heard was something to the effect of "K-N-B-R News" which went directly into FOX News at the top of the hour. Anyone know if they run FOX News at the top of the hour during late nights/early mornings? My source doesn't show any FOX News affiliates on 680.

The KNBR website says they run ESPN from midnight to 5am, which would be 3am-8am here. I have been hearing ESPN on 680 during these times, but it's coming out of Memphis. I'll keep trying this week...
 
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