Looks like I'll be doing some DXing from California in three weeks

[gar hi]

On 650, there's now a pretty strong station playing some kind of foreign music and in the background, there's what sounds like a talk station.

That strong ESPN station on 1700 is XEPE from Tijuana, Mexico that serves San Diego, CA. The station is the strongest of all the 1700's in North America broadcasting at 10,000 watts. It's a regular here in Phoenix, AZ every single night, but sometimes we're lucky and KVNS overpowers XEPE with their 880 watts. I've heard XEPE dominate the signal as far east as west Texas, but east of there, it's almost all KVNS.

10,000 watts at night?

No wonder it's so strong and steady.

I'm really surprised I never heard that in Florida but then again, with the battle between KVNS and WJCC, it could be in the background maybe at times but I was never looking for it.

 

[MarioMania]

On 650, there's now a pretty strong station playing some kind of foreign music and in the background, there's what sounds like a talk station.

That's KSTE from Rancho Cordova, CA in the background

 

[gar hi]

Thanks, Mario.

Since you're not far from here, it's a big help with you knowing all these stations I'm not familiar with.


Another thing I noticed regarding FM driving down here from San Francisco airport last night which I'm familiar with from past times I've been here is that the San Francisco FM stations I was listening to had good signals down to San Jose where I noticed a bit of a weaker signal starting to show but then the signal gets stronger again as I made my way up highway 17 into the Santa Cruz Mountains.

But the always interesting part is how they suddenly vanish once I pass the summit and start heading down the other side to the Santa Cruz area.

 

[crainbebo]

Gar, what's the FM Scan from there? Can you get KVYB 103.3 out of Santa Barbara (huge signal that TFC in San Diego gets every day).

A couple nights ago, was picking up KPOJ/KWAL/CKRM all fighting on 620...

-crainbebo

 

[asugeorge1]

A couple nights ago, was picking up KPOJ/KWAL/CKRM all fighting on 620...

You might also be able to get KTAR-AM from Phoenix in the Santa Cruz area on 620. Every time I travel to L.A., KTAR is a regular fighting it out with a Mexican station, XESS, from the Tijuana area.

 

[pianoplayer88key]

I'm also wondering what the AM scan would be like in the daytime, especially near the coast (and away from local transmitter sites) with the PR-D5 or whatever Sangean gar has.

A few targets I'm curious about include, but are not limited to:

600 KOGO San Diego, CA - 5kW DA - talk
640 KFI Los Angeles, CA - 50kW ND - talk
690 XEWW Tijuana, BCN - 77kW DA - spanish
950 XEKAM Rosarito, BCN - 20kW DA - spanish
1070 KNX Los Angeles, CA - 50kW ND - news
1090 XEPRS Rosarito, BCN - 50kW DA - sports (simulcasts with 1700 XEPE much of the time)

For the last two I wonder if going to a beach somewhere west of 1080 KSCO's transmitter site (36°57'43"N 121°58'51"W) might work so you can null them while peaking anything that may be on 1070 or 1090. (I don't know if KSCO runs IBOC though. I know KNX does and XEPRS doesn't.) Alternately, I wonder if the south end of the bay near Monterrey would work better, although there you'd have KSCO kind-of off the backside of your antenna.

 

[gar hi]

Gar, what's the FM Scan from there? Can you get KVYB 103.3 out of Santa Barbara (huge signal that TFC in San Diego gets every day).

It's hard to do an FM scan because most all stations I get here are in Spanish, so I can't know the IDs.

I tried for KVYB 103,3 but nothing.

Too many mountains between here and Santa Barbara. I can't even hear San Francisco FMs here unless there's some tropo.

I'm also wondering what the AM scan would be like in the daytime, especially near the coast (and away from local transmitter sites) with the PR-D5 or whatever Sangean gar has.

A few targets I'm curious about include, but are not limited to:

600 KOGO San Diego, CA - 5kW DA - talk
640 KFI Los Angeles, CA - 50kW ND - talk
690 XEWW Tijuana, BCN - 77kW DA - spanish
950 XEKAM Rosarito, BCN - 20kW DA - spanish
1070 KNX Los Angeles, CA - 50kW ND - news
1090 XEPRS Rosarito, BCN - 50kW DA - sports (simulcasts with 1700 XEPE much of the time)

Thanks.

I plan to go to a beach just north of Santa Cruz today and I'll see what I can get.

AM at night is kind of disappointing, not only because of so many stations now on the same frequencies where I used to hear stations from the east years ago but also because of the interference inside the hotel.

 

[davideduardo]

A couple nights ago, was picking up KPOJ/KWAL/CKRM all fighting on 620...

You might also be able to get KTAR-AM from Phoenix in the Santa Cruz area on 620. Every time I travel to L.A., KTAR is a regular fighting it out with a Mexican station, XESS, from the Tijuana area.

In the Post-Blyth, pre LA zone, I mostly get the spanish language station from Hanford, not Tijuana.

 

[gar hi]

Now that I'm back home, one of my new DXing goals is to hear 1700 XEPE.

With 10 kw of power at night, it should be receivable even if in the background of the mix of WJCC and KVNS but I see they are directional at night.

Does anyone know the pattern direction, by any chance?

Since there was not any hope of hearing any of the stationds from back east that were heard every night in the 70s out there, I concentrated when I had the chance on seeing if I could hear KVNS in the background of XEPE but I didn't hear even a trace of any other station.

That XEPE had about as strong and steady a signal as KFI at night.

 

[pianoplayer88key]

Now that I'm back home, one of my new DXing goals is to hear 1700 XEPE.

With 10 kw of power at night, it should be receivable even if in the background of the mix of WJCC and KVNS but I see they are directional at night.

Does anyone know the pattern direction, by any chance?

Hmm... well if the FCC's plot for them is accurate.... (they still think they're XEKTT) MAAAAYBE you might catch them around the winter solstice when it's dark along much of the path from Florida, across the Atlantic, across Africa, southern Asia, the Pacific all the way to Tijuana, and the portions of that path that aren't dark are enhanced by winter daytime skywave due to the low sun angle?

 

[gar hi]

Just remember that WWKB, for example, has a much greater null to the west than XEPE does to the east or southeast and it's not uncommon for WWKB to be heard in the midwest.

I thought that station was imposssible to hear down here because of their directional pattern but I heard them here too.

 

[kilokat7]

Now that I'm back home, one of my new DXing goals is to hear 1700 XEPE.

With 10 kw of power at night, it should be receivable even if in the background of the mix of WJCC and KVNS but I see they are directional at night.

Does anyone know the pattern direction, by any chance?

Since there was not any hope of hearing any of the stationds from back east that were heard every night in the 70s out there, I concentrated when I had the chance on seeing if I could hear KVNS in the background of XEPE but I didn't hear even a trace of any other station.

That XEPE had about as strong and steady a signal as KFI at night.

Gar, now is the time to go after XEPE. How's the competition from the Miami Springs station on 1700? Can you null it out? If so then I think you have a good shot. I've spent a lot of time this week on 1700 during the early morning hours and have had XEPE coming in nearly every morning under dominant KBGG. There's usually a few seconds of delay between the two stations, making both easy to separate by ear. Both carry ESPN Sports and I've found getting a good ID almost impossible from XEPE at TOH but I've caught local San Diego ads near the bottom of the hour. KBGG IDs as "The Champ" at TOH (with music from Queen's "We Are The Champions"). I've never been able to hear any kind of official legal ID at TOH from XEPE and I wonder if they even use one? The best I've heard is a generic ID by Colin Cowherd as "ESPN 1700" or something similar. This differs from the TOH ID used by KBGG. Anyway, maybe these tips will help you snag them!

 

[radioman148]

Now that I'm back home, one of my new DXing goals is to hear 1700 XEPE.

With 10 kw of power at night, it should be receivable even if in the background of the mix of WJCC and KVNS but I see they are directional at night.

Does anyone know the pattern direction, by any chance?

Since there was not any hope of hearing any of the stationds from back east that were heard every night in the 70s out there, I concentrated when I had the chance on seeing if I could hear KVNS in the background of XEPE but I didn't hear even a trace of any other station.

That XEPE had about as strong and steady a signal as KFI at night.

XEPE definitely has a very good signal. When I was in Hawaii a few years back XEPE had the best signal on the X band from the mainland and was the
only station I heard on 1700. Of course they do send a lot of signal that way.

 

[gar hi]

Now that I'm back home, one of my new DXing goals is to hear 1700 XEPE.

With 10 kw of power at night, it should be receivable even if in the background of the mix of WJCC and KVNS but I see they are directional at night.

Does anyone know the pattern direction, by any chance?

Since there was not any hope of hearing any of the stationds from back east that were heard every night in the 70s out there, I concentrated when I had the chance on seeing if I could hear KVNS in the background of XEPE but I didn't hear even a trace of any other station.

That XEPE had about as strong and steady a signal as KFI at night.

Gar, now is the time to go after XEPE. How's the competition from the Miami Springs station on 1700? Can you null it out? If so then I think you have a good shot. I've spent a lot of time this week on 1700 during the early morning hours and have had XEPE coming in nearly every morning under dominant KBGG. There's usually a few seconds of delay between the two stations, making both easy to separate by ear. Both carry ESPN Sports and I've found getting a good ID almost impossible from XEPE at TOH but I've caught local San Diego ads near the bottom of the hour. KBGG IDs as "The Champ" at TOH (with music from Queen's "We Are The Champions"). I've never been able to hear any kind of official legal ID at TOH from XEPE and I wonder if they even use one? The best I've heard is a generic ID by Colin Cowherd as "ESPN 1700" or something similar. This differs from the TOH ID used by KBGG. Anyway, maybe these tips will help you snag them!

The Miami Springs station is always battling it out here with KVNS and both can be quite strong at times.

But if you can get XEPE where you are, that means I have a chance at the right time too!

That's encouraging. Thanks.

 

[pianoplayer88key]

When I get a chance I'll try to see if I can record a TOH ID from them (they're local here) and post it to give you an idea of what to look for. (It may be during a simulcast / joint ID with XEPRS 1090.)

 

[gar hi]

So I was just listening on 1700 and both WJCC and KVNS were there but weak.

WJCC was speaking in a foreign language of course. KVNS was playing the song Dance with me by Orleans, and for a brief instant, some station came in where I heard part of a sentence.

A man said "What they need to understand" and then it faded out.

Maybe or maybe not XEPE but it was a different station than of the usual two here at night.

I only hear the religious station WEUP from Huntsville, Al during critical hours

 

[pianoplayer88key]

Ok here's a TOH ID from XEPE from about 20 minutes ago. Hope this helps with knowing what to listen for. Good luck.

I'll see if I can record one tomorrow when they're not simulcasting with 1090 XEPRS. Right now they are simulcasting with the Padres post game program hosted by John Kentera. Also here's XEPE's website - they have a live stream link near the top on the right. In case it's not working for you, here's a link to XEPRS 1090's stream and their website, who XEPE is simulcasting right now.

 

[pianoplayer88key]

Also even after the Padres postgame show ends (last one of the season tonight), 1090 XEPRS should still be simulcasting 1700 XEPE with ESPN Radio, at least until 6am Pacific when Scott & BR come on 1090. (1700 continues with Mike and Mike until 7am then goes into whatever's next in the schedule.) As for future evenings now that the Padres season is over, I don't know what the simulcast schedule is - both stations have their own independent programming throughout much of the day, with 1700 XEPE breaking away from ESPN to air a few financial programs, Ray Lucia being one.

 

[pianoplayer88key]

As promised, here, in context, is a TOH ID from XEPE when they were not simulcasting XEPRS. The actual ID is about 49 seconds in.

 

[kilokat7]

As promised, here, in context, is a TOH ID from XEPE when they were not simulcasting XEPRS. The actual ID is about 49 seconds in.

Thanks for this clip, it helped me confirm the TOH IDs I've been hearing under KBGG. As I mentioned before, the part that I always hear also appears in your clip by Colin Cowherd "ESPN Radio 1700". What I never noticed in my listening was the faint voiced lady in Spanish reading off the legal ID immediately before Cowherd. I'll have to revisit my recordings now that I know what to listen for!