Nighttime AM Bandscan Fargo, North Dakota

[cyberdad]

So last night, I was in a (mostly) noise free hotel in Fargo. Here's some of what I came up with...

540: CBK good (also here with a weak daytime signal under KFYR splatter)
550: KFYR fair...not quite as good as daytime
560: WIND fair and on top....mixing with sports. Presumably WEBC
570: WNAX fair...also available 24/7
580: WIBW and WKTY mixing on top of the mess. CKY used to own this channel around here.
640: Tried for KFI, but got an unintelligible mess
670: WSCR fair
680: Looking for KNBR/getting KFEQ. Alone. No trace of CJOB, either.
720: WGN good
730: CKDM good with local 740 nulled.
(noise beyond the 740 local to about 800)
830: WCCO fair
850: KOA blasting....probably the best skywave signal
880: KRVN good
890: WLS good...almost the equal of KOA
1070: Looking for KNX...getting a mess.

At this point I wussed out and fell asleep. My apologies for that, but my thought is that you guys might be interested in my "partial view".

Tonight I'm in Winnipeg (again). I've already posted a bandscan from here, but if anything new, different, or unusual turns up, I'll post. Same goes if anyone has a suggestion or request for me to try.

 

[radioman148]

So last night, I was in a (mostly) noise free hotel in Fargo. Here's some of what I came up with...

540: CBK good (also here with a weak daytime signal under KFYR splatter)
550: KFYR fair...not quite as good as daytime
560: WIND fair and on top....mixing with sports. Presumably WEBC
570: WNAX fair...also available 24/7
580: WIBW and WKTY mixing on top of the mess. CKY used to own this channel around here.
640: Tried for KFI, but got an unintelligible mess
670: WSCR fair
680: Looking for KNBR/getting KFEQ. Alone. No trace of CJOB, either.
720: WGN good
730: CKDM good with local 740 nulled.
(noise beyond the 740 local to about 800)
830: WCCO fair
850: KOA blasting....probably the best skywave signal
880: KRVN good
890: WLS good...almost the equal of KOA
1070: Looking for KNX...getting a mess.

At this point I wussed out and fell asleep. My apologies for that, but my thought is that you guys might be interested in my "partial view".

Tonight I'm in Winnipeg (again). I've already posted a bandscan from here, but if anything new, different, or unusual turns up, I'll post. Same goes if anyone has a suggestion or request for me to try.

Shame on you for falling asleep. What's more important DX or sleep? ;D

 

[crainbebo]

I'd try 1190, 1380, 1520. With CBW blaring in on 990, KOMO will NEVER come in up in Winnipeg unless if you have the perfect radio.

-crainbebo

 

[davideduardo]

With CBW blaring in on 990, KOMO will NEVER come in up in Winnipeg unless if you have the perfect radio.

Why is CBW so special that a good receiver and a loop can not hear 1000 or 980?

I've lived within 10 miles of 50 kw stations on several occasions and been able to hear stations on first adjacents with relative ease.

As long as you are not in the real, immediate neighborhood of the TX for CBW, 1000 should be DX-able.

 

[Icangelp]

Thanks, cyberdad.

I spent two very cold January nights in Fargo way too many years ago. Was it 37? Haven't been back since.

I take it you didn't hear WLW.

 

[crainbebo]

How close is cyberdad's Winnipeg hotel to CBW?

-crainbebo

 

[cyberdad]

The main problem wasn't CBW, it was CJOB...which I think I could've picked up on my dental work. But the only radio I had with me was the only radio I had with me was the SRF-37 Walkman. It's a good little DX unit, but it overloads when there are a lot of sticks in the neighborhood. CJOB took out everything from 610 to 740! CBW's stick was about 12 miles from me, so while it was a pest, it wasn't a completely insurmountable problem. I was able to null it, and 1000 came up pretty much blank. Nothing identifiable on 980, but 970 turned up a pretty good signal from WDAY (audible 24/7, which gives you a pretty good idea of the ground conductivity in the neighborhood....5kw from 200 miles away!)

As for the Seattle frequencies, I was getting country music on 1190, didn't really try 1380, and 1520 yielded a very weak KOKC. I did snag CKWX....fading in and out...a little before sunrise this morning.

Speaking of ground conductivity, I had a perfectly listenable daytime signal from KTRF on 1230 in the car NORTH or Winnipeg. That's 150 miles for a graveyarder. At the other end of the dial....CBK, KFYR, and WNAX were all present. I think CBK may be something like 400 miles. Then today, CJOB and CBW both were tripping the scan button in Detroit Lakes, MN....250 miles south of Winnipeg. (I still miss CKY/580...and for that matter, CKRC/630).

And yes, Radioman, my bad for daring to fall asleep. On my next road trip, maybe I'll bring along some toothpicks for my eyes to keep that from happening again!

 

[crainbebo]

Country 1190 is CFSL Weyburn, Saskatchewan. I hear it quite a bit under KEX here.

-crainbebo

 

[radioman148]

The main problem wasn't CBW, it was CJOB...which I think I could've picked up on my dental work. But the only radio I had with me was the only radio I had with me was the SRF-37 Walkman. It's a good little DX unit, but it overloads when there are a lot of sticks in the neighborhood. CJOB took out everything from 610 to 740! CBW's stick was about 12 miles from me, so while it was a pest, it wasn't a completely insurmountable problem. I was able to null it, and 1000 came up pretty much blank. Nothing identifiable on 980, but 970 turned up a pretty good signal from WDAY (audible 24/7, which gives you a pretty good idea of the ground conductivity in the neighborhood....5kw from 200 miles away!)

As for the Seattle frequencies, I was getting country music on 1190, didn't really try 1380, and 1520 yielded a very weak KOKC. I did snag CKWX....fading in and out...a little before sunrise this morning.

Speaking of ground conductivity, I had a perfectly listenable daytime signal from KTRF on 1230 in the car NORTH or Winnipeg. That's 150 miles for a graveyarder. At the other end of the dial....CBK, KFYR, and WNAX were all present. I think CBK may be something like 400 miles. Then today, CJOB and CBW both were tripping the scan button in Detroit Lakes, MN....250 miles south of Winnipeg. (I still miss CKY/580...and for that matter, CKRC/630).

And yes, Radioman, my bad for daring to fall asleep. On my next road trip, maybe I'll bring along some toothpicks for my eyes to keep that from happening again!

CKY was a great station--I miss it too. I wonder if Burton Cummings is still doing any radio up there?

 

[pianoplayer88key]

With CBW blaring in on 990, KOMO will NEVER come in up in Winnipeg unless if you have the perfect radio.

Why is CBW so special that a good receiver and a loop can not hear 1000 or 980?

I've lived within 10 miles of 50 kw stations on several occasions and been able to hear stations on first adjacents with relative ease.

As long as you are not in the real, immediate neighborhood of the TX for CBW, 1000 should be DX-able.

In my opinion, an "okay" pocket receiver and built-in loopstick (similar size and price to Sony SRF-59), in the southwest quadrant of Columbia Park in Torrance, CA, should be able, at noon in June during solar maximum, to hear KTNS, KKVV, KDUS, KSCO or XEDY, depending on loop orientation, good enough for normal people (non-DXers) to be willing to listen, with NO trace of splatter from KNX (when their HD is off).

Also, in the center of the Northlake Festival shopping center parking lot in Tucker, GA, you should be able to hear WMSP, WHMT, WCXZ or WPAQ just as well, depending again on orientation, via groundwave, also with no splatter from WSB.

A "good" portable (similar size & price to GE Superradio III when they were new) should also be able to hear KRMG just as well as the above at Northlake Festival, and possibly WJR, also on groundwave.  Also the above Columbia Park scenario should be easily doable with KNX's HD on.

A very good radio (no more than about $150, and portable including the antenna) I think should also be able, from the SW corner of Columbia Park, to hear 9 kHz splits on 1071 kHz during darkness from, for example, Australia, India, Africa, Middle East, etc, without interference from KNX (even with HD on), well enough for a casual DXer to easily get 100% copy without using headphones while doing household chores.

Also it should be able to completely null WSB and clearly hear KFQD and KXTG at night from the Northlake Festival parking lot, as well as being able to single out every graveyarder on 1490 in North and South America, receiving each one as clear as the clears were back in the 1940s.

For all above stations/scenarios, audio fidelity on a very good radio should sound at least as good as this. During deep propagation fades, this might be acceptable when listening to 1071 in Columbia Park, or KFQD at Northlake Festival.

 

[fybush]

Hey cyberdad...turns out we were both in Fargo the same night! What are the odds of that?

 

[cyberdad]

Hey cyberdad...turns out we were both in Fargo the same night! What are the odds of that?

Wow! Wish I'd known....I'd loved to have met you for dinner, breakfast, libation, etc. Let me guess....you were there taking pix of what used to be the tallest TV tower in the U.S.....if not the entire planet. I don't know if that's still the case any more, but I'd guess there are still some great shots to be had with tall towers contrasted against the flat plains.

BTW...my own "tower encounter" was driving by CHSM (1250) on my way out of town. R-L lists it as four towers, but I counted five. It's closer to Winnipeg than it's COL, Steinbach.

 

[cyberdad]

Country 1190 is CFSL Weyburn, Saskatchewan. I hear it quite a bit under KEX here.

-crainbebo

Thanks. I may have had it on groundwave...given the superb conductivity in that area. The signal was pretty good.

Which brings me to a correction....or at least a possible correction I stated that I had KRVN the night I was in Fargo. Well, maybe or maybe not. In Winnipeg, I had a surprisingly good night signal on 880 from CKLQ. Although Fargo would supposedly be in CKLQ's null, I wouldn't be surprised if it was actually CKLQ.

When I heard country, I automatically assumed KRVN. But I've actually heard CKLQ here in the Chicago area more often during the past year or two than KRVN. That probably shouldn't be the case, so perhaps R-L is wrong or CKLQ is "forgetting" to switch to their night pattern. Wish I'd have hung around for a positive ID, but there was no break in the music.

And Radioman.... I haven't heard or heard of Burton Cummings hosting a radio program since his CKY gig 10-15 years ago. It was a fabulous listen. A walking pop music encyclopedia, great storyteller, and good with the technical stuff of announcing as well (he did a good job reading commercials). I miss hearing him. Winnipeg does have a park named after him.

 

[fybush]

Hey cyberdad...turns out we were both in Fargo the same night! What are the odds of that?

Wow! Wish I'd known....I'd loved to have met you for dinner, breakfast, libation, etc. Let me guess....you were there taking pix of what used to be the tallest TV tower in the U.S.....if not the entire planet. I don't know if that's still the case any more, but I'd guess there are still some great shots to be had with tall towers contrasted against the flat plains.

I'd have loved to compare notes with you, too! Yes, the tall towers were one reason for the trip (and KVLY-TV 11's 2063-footer is still the tallest in the western hemisphere; only the Burj tower in Dubai is taller), but I also got to see a bunch of studio facilities and WDAY 970's new site way down on the Minnesota side of the market.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

So last night, I was in a (mostly) noise free hotel in Fargo. Here's some of what I came up with...

540: CBK good (also here with a weak daytime signal under KFYR splatter)
550: KFYR fair...not quite as good as daytime
560: WIND fair and on top....mixing with sports. Presumably WEBC
570: WNAX fair...also available 24/7
580: WIBW and WKTY mixing on top of the mess. CKY used to own this channel around here.
640: Tried for KFI, but got an unintelligible mess
670: WSCR fair
680: Looking for KNBR/getting KFEQ. Alone. No trace of CJOB, either.
720: WGN good
730: CKDM good with local 740 nulled.
(noise beyond the 740 local to about 800)
830: WCCO fair
850: KOA blasting....probably the best skywave signal
880: KRVN good
890: WLS good...almost the equal of KOA
1070: Looking for KNX...getting a mess.

At this point I wussed out and fell asleep. My apologies for that, but my thought is that you guys might be interested in my "partial view".

Tonight I'm in Winnipeg (again). I've already posted a bandscan from here, but if anything new, different, or unusual turns up, I'll post. Same goes if anyone has a suggestion or request for me to try.

When I worked for a Williston, ND radio station in 2005 I did a daytime bandscan that was pretty neat. I will have to see if I can find the old link.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

So last night, I was in a (mostly) noise free hotel in Fargo. Here's some of what I came up with...

540: CBK good (also here with a weak daytime signal under KFYR splatter)
550: KFYR fair...not quite as good as daytime
560: WIND fair and on top....mixing with sports. Presumably WEBC
570: WNAX fair...also available 24/7
580: WIBW and WKTY mixing on top of the mess. CKY used to own this channel around here.
640: Tried for KFI, but got an unintelligible mess
670: WSCR fair
680: Looking for KNBR/getting KFEQ. Alone. No trace of CJOB, either.
720: WGN good
730: CKDM good with local 740 nulled.
(noise beyond the 740 local to about 800)
830: WCCO fair
850: KOA blasting....probably the best skywave signal
880: KRVN good
890: WLS good...almost the equal of KOA
1070: Looking for KNX...getting a mess.

At this point I wussed out and fell asleep. My apologies for that, but my thought is that you guys might be interested in my "partial view".

Tonight I'm in Winnipeg (again). I've already posted a bandscan from here, but if anything new, different, or unusual turns up, I'll post. Same goes if anyone has a suggestion or request for me to try.

When I worked for a Williston, ND radio station in 2005 I did a daytime bandscan that was pretty neat. I will have to see if I can find the old link.

Cant find the link

Reception there was pretty good!