Hi all.
I just found this forum. I live in Tampa, Florida but grew up in South Jersey just outside Philly and I discovered DXing back in the early 70s when I was about 10 years old. I've been down in Fla. for 24 years and haven't listened for night time AM stations in years until now. Back in the 70s, I have good memories of all the nights or late afternoons I would listen to see what I could get in South Jersey. Obviously, stations like 77 WABC wouldn't be considered a real DX in South Jersey because the signal was pretty good even in the day. It did, though, often get scrambled at night frim the multi pathing. Anyway, the first DX I remember getting was WKBW 1520 from Buffalo and I remember sometimes getting that late mornings and early afternoons too. WLS and CKLW were always real strong at night (all those stations played top 40 then). I'll never forget the trip we took down to Miami in the spring of 73. I was riding in the car at night with my brother, he put WABC on, and I heard Cousin Brucie loud and clear. After returning from Florida, I was determined to get a Miami station up in Jersey but had no luck until I was down at the shore just before sunset one day and 790 WFUN came in on the car radio for a few minutes but went away. (Think that was only a 5kw too) WIOD never came in because WIP in Philly took up that frequency but oddly enough, I remember picking up WIOD years later when I was in college in Bethlehem, Pa. Can't even pick WIOD here in Tampa!
In the late 70s, my brother then lived near Travis AFB in California and I went to visit him in the summer of 77. I was so curious to see what I could get from back east. WLS and WLW came in pretty good on a regular basis. I had hoped to hear WABC maybe but KOB was very strong there. On 660, I listened for WNBC but couldn't hear it. There was "something" on the frequency but nothing I could distinguish.
One night, I was thrilled to get 1210 WCAU! It was very late after some other station (Nebraska, I think) went off the air. I also once got WCBS for a couple of minutes but that was it. All I used for this was my regular portable AM/FM radio. Of course, KFI from Los Angeles was powerful at night and even sounded as strong as KFRC in San Francisco some 40 miles away. When I got back to New Jersey, I was then determined to pick up a California station back home, either from San Francisco ot Los Angeles. Never had any luck with any SF stations, as there were too many other stations on those frequencies anyway. Finally one night, I actually got KFI for a few minutes! I even remember the song they were playing- "I go crazy" by Paul Davis. But that was the one and only time I ever heard that station.
So in the early 80s, I moved down to Florida to finish school. Back then, I had my new Sony AM Stereo and I had to be the only person who thought AM stereo was cool. Here in Tampa, WNBC would start to come in pretty good right before sunset when I would often listen to Howard Stern and he would play songs in AM stereo. (He always used to make fun of that). WLS was another good catch in AM stereo too.
Back then, Tampa had a station on 1380 (WRBQ) that also played AM stereo. On my first visit back to Jersey over Christmas, I was curious to see what I could get from down in Florida, even though there weren't any 50kw stations other than one in Jacksonville that I think went down to 10k after sunset (I would drop suddenly). Anyway, I was so surpeised to hear 1380 from Tampa in stereo just before sunset! I think they had not changed to their nighttime direction because that one suddenly dropped off too.
Here it is 2008 and I've started to do some evening DXing on AM with my little Sony walkman. It's a regular mono Am digital tuner. (I could kick myself for not holding on to that old AM stereo now). Needless to say, the AM band is cluttered with so many stations now, especially Spanish ones from Cuba and elsewhere down south. 660 WFAN can barely be heard because of this, same with WABC, though it has it's good nights. It's cool to listen to their Saturdey Night oldies show on my walkman or sometimes out in the car radio! WCBS comes in much better than all the others for some reason but sometimes it too it taken over by a Spanish speaking station. 1210 the big talker from Philly comes in now and then but not constantly. I can't get KYW at all anymore. Oddly enough, KOA 850 from Denver comes in here as good as the New Youk stations and on a regular basis too. I'm still waiting to hear KFI from here. (Are they still non directional?)
So, that's my story as far as AM goes anyway. I'm glad I found this forum.
Gary
I just found this forum. I live in Tampa, Florida but grew up in South Jersey just outside Philly and I discovered DXing back in the early 70s when I was about 10 years old. I've been down in Fla. for 24 years and haven't listened for night time AM stations in years until now. Back in the 70s, I have good memories of all the nights or late afternoons I would listen to see what I could get in South Jersey. Obviously, stations like 77 WABC wouldn't be considered a real DX in South Jersey because the signal was pretty good even in the day. It did, though, often get scrambled at night frim the multi pathing. Anyway, the first DX I remember getting was WKBW 1520 from Buffalo and I remember sometimes getting that late mornings and early afternoons too. WLS and CKLW were always real strong at night (all those stations played top 40 then). I'll never forget the trip we took down to Miami in the spring of 73. I was riding in the car at night with my brother, he put WABC on, and I heard Cousin Brucie loud and clear. After returning from Florida, I was determined to get a Miami station up in Jersey but had no luck until I was down at the shore just before sunset one day and 790 WFUN came in on the car radio for a few minutes but went away. (Think that was only a 5kw too) WIOD never came in because WIP in Philly took up that frequency but oddly enough, I remember picking up WIOD years later when I was in college in Bethlehem, Pa. Can't even pick WIOD here in Tampa!
In the late 70s, my brother then lived near Travis AFB in California and I went to visit him in the summer of 77. I was so curious to see what I could get from back east. WLS and WLW came in pretty good on a regular basis. I had hoped to hear WABC maybe but KOB was very strong there. On 660, I listened for WNBC but couldn't hear it. There was "something" on the frequency but nothing I could distinguish.
One night, I was thrilled to get 1210 WCAU! It was very late after some other station (Nebraska, I think) went off the air. I also once got WCBS for a couple of minutes but that was it. All I used for this was my regular portable AM/FM radio. Of course, KFI from Los Angeles was powerful at night and even sounded as strong as KFRC in San Francisco some 40 miles away. When I got back to New Jersey, I was then determined to pick up a California station back home, either from San Francisco ot Los Angeles. Never had any luck with any SF stations, as there were too many other stations on those frequencies anyway. Finally one night, I actually got KFI for a few minutes! I even remember the song they were playing- "I go crazy" by Paul Davis. But that was the one and only time I ever heard that station.
So in the early 80s, I moved down to Florida to finish school. Back then, I had my new Sony AM Stereo and I had to be the only person who thought AM stereo was cool. Here in Tampa, WNBC would start to come in pretty good right before sunset when I would often listen to Howard Stern and he would play songs in AM stereo. (He always used to make fun of that). WLS was another good catch in AM stereo too.
Back then, Tampa had a station on 1380 (WRBQ) that also played AM stereo. On my first visit back to Jersey over Christmas, I was curious to see what I could get from down in Florida, even though there weren't any 50kw stations other than one in Jacksonville that I think went down to 10k after sunset (I would drop suddenly). Anyway, I was so surpeised to hear 1380 from Tampa in stereo just before sunset! I think they had not changed to their nighttime direction because that one suddenly dropped off too.
Here it is 2008 and I've started to do some evening DXing on AM with my little Sony walkman. It's a regular mono Am digital tuner. (I could kick myself for not holding on to that old AM stereo now). Needless to say, the AM band is cluttered with so many stations now, especially Spanish ones from Cuba and elsewhere down south. 660 WFAN can barely be heard because of this, same with WABC, though it has it's good nights. It's cool to listen to their Saturdey Night oldies show on my walkman or sometimes out in the car radio! WCBS comes in much better than all the others for some reason but sometimes it too it taken over by a Spanish speaking station. 1210 the big talker from Philly comes in now and then but not constantly. I can't get KYW at all anymore. Oddly enough, KOA 850 from Denver comes in here as good as the New Youk stations and on a regular basis too. I'm still waiting to hear KFI from here. (Are they still non directional?)
So, that's my story as far as AM goes anyway. I'm glad I found this forum.
Gary