Nighttime full AM band scan from Tampa (video)

[gar hi]

Here's a full nighttime band scan.

After my daytime band scan, it was suggested I break it down into more parts so I can scan the dial slower. I since discovered the setting on my camera that allows longer video time if the pixels are reduced so it can record for three minutes instead of just one.

So here's a 6 minute full band scan in two parts.

The picture quality isn't as good but you can still see the frequency in the display window. Also, some of the weird whining feedback sounds on certain frequencies are because the camera was close to the radio.

The radio is facing in a NNW direction so, as you know, individual frequencies can vary depending on the exact direction. It wasn't that good of a night for some of the usually better signals from the northeast and midwest like WBBM and WCBS but you can still get a good sense of what the AM band sounds like here at night.

Here's part one 530 - 1130.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yukjYZNDjuI

Here's part two 1130 - 1700.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkO5KjevHOg

 

[drt]

Thanks, GarFla,

From my location which is probably about 20 - 22 air miles s.s.w. of you, the daytime scan was pretty much the same; excpept for 1470(they're Spanish this week, not sure what the call letters are this week though!), 1470 is pretty weak here during the day and non-existant at night and I noticed on your nighttime scan you were receiving them.

To answer someone else's question on the daytime scan, the 1130 would have been WWBF out of Bartow, Fl (about 15 miles s.s.e. of Lakeland,Fl for those not familiar with the area).

The 1180; at least from my location is the Cuban station that is on the air to jam Radio Marti; I have never received Radio Marti that well here in St. Pete, it is always in the background (if at all) of the Cuban station.

I also noticed in your daytime scan that on 1690 you were receiving the Pinellas county traffic TIS station; they have antennas in St. Petersurg, Pinellas Park, Largo and Tarpon Springs and all are on 1690. (used to be 940).
-------------------
On the nighttime scan there was more difference in the local stations, for example I receive WLSS 930 at night as well as WTMY 1280 and WSDV 1450 (thanks to the skip over Tampa Bay and the fact I'm three blocks from the bay). I also noticed (and was not surprised) that 1590- WRXB was a jumbled mess, whereas here (I'm about 3.2. miles from their towers, 1590 comes in well.

One question, was that 970 WFLA also coming in on 950? Here night and day, I receive Radio Reloj on 950 when my radio is facing toward the south or s.s.e. or s.s.w.; only when I have the radio turned toarard the e.n.e. do I receive the religious station out of Orlando and that's only during the day.

Thanks again,, for taking all the time and trouble to do that.

drt,
st. petersburg, fl

btw- as far as I know 1130 WWBF Bartow, is the last AM stereo staion in Florida.

btw-2 I noticed that on 650 WSM, it was completely over-riden by the Cuban station, I've been noticing more and more of that lately on 650.

 

[musicman3355]

Just a quick question - what station was that at 1620 playing Enrique Iglesias' "I Like It"?

 

[drt]

Just a quick question - what station was that at 1620 playing Enrique Iglesias' "I Like It"?

This is a station out of Cuba and I assume Havana, since during the day, the lady announcer takes phone calls and talks to people about events and activities going on in Havana.

At night they seem to leave the talk behind and concentrate on the music; I never received the station here (St. Petersburg) until late May or early June, so either they're a new station or they have recently increased their power.

It used to be that sometimes during the day I could receive a station on 1620 out of the Florida panhandle (Pensacola, I believe), but no more, the 1620 out of Cuba is now the dominant station and frankly their programming is better! The Cuban interference can be frustrating though when one is trying to dx or listen to a local or semi local station that is battered by the Cuban interference and here it is day and night.

drt,
st. petersburg,fl

 

[crainbebo]

What I can tell from this nighttime scan

530: Cuba strong
540: WFLF Orlando, FL
550: Talk station prob WDUN Gainesville, GA
560: Camera interference
570: WTBN Pinellas Park, FL/extremely weak Reloj (CMDC) under??
580: What I assume is WDBO Orlando, FL
590: Cuba
600: Cuba/jumble under
610: Camera interference/Spanish??
620: WDAE St. Petersburg, FL
630: Camera interference
640: Cuba strong
650: Cuba/WSM Nashville, TN
660: Cuba
670: Cuba
680: WGES St. Petersburg
690: Cuba??
700: WLW Cincinatti
710: WAQI Miami/Radio Rebelde Cuba (have tentatively logged a Mexican w/ salsa music on 710 under my KIRO blowtorch at home!)
720: What sounds like Cuba and another Mexican
730: Jumble
740: WYGM Orlando/CFZM Toronto??
750: WSB Atlanta
760: XEABC Mexico City??
770: Cuba or Mexico
780: too much jumble
790: WAXY Miami/jumble
800: too much jumble
810: Mexican
820: WBAP Fort Worth, TX w/ others
830: Cuba
840: Cuba and jumble
850: weak mess
860: WGUL Dunedin, FL
870: WWL New Orleans, LA
880: WCBS New York/Spanish??
890: Cuba strong/WLS Chicago
900: mess
910: WTWD Plant City/mess
920: Mess
930: Camera interference
940: mess
950: Radio Reloj and WTLN Orlando
960: WFLA slop
970: WFLA Tampa
980: mess and WFLA slop
990: WFLA slop
1000: WMVP Chicago/spanish?
1010: WQYK Seffner, FL
1020: Spanish
1030: mess
1040: What I think is WLVJ Boynton Beach, FL and WHO Des Moines, Iowa
1050: XEG Monterrey, Nuevo Leon
1060: Mexicans/KYW Phily?
1070: Mess
1080: Spanish
1090: KAAY Little Rock, AR
1100: WTAM Cleveland, OH
1110: WBT Charlotte
1120: KMOX St. Louis, MO
1130: What sounds like WWBF Barton, FL
1140: Mess
1150: WTMP Tampa area, FL
1160: weak stuff
1170: Camera interference
1180: Radio Marti/Cuban jammer
1190: WAMT Orlando, FL/mess, WOWO?
1200: WOAI San Antonio, TX
1210: Cuba
1220: XEB Mexico City?
1230: Graveyard
1240: WHNZ interference
1250: WHNZ Tampa
1260: WHNZ interference
1270: WHNZ interference
1280: WTMY Sarasota, FL/mess
1290: unid music
1300: WQBN Tampa
1310: mess
1320: Mess
1330: Mess
1340: WTAN Clearwater, FL/graveyard
1350: WDCF Dade City, FL/mess
1360: mess
1370: IBOC
1380: WWMI St. Petersburg
1390: IBOC
1400: Camera interference
1410: mess
1420: WBRD Palmetto, FL
1430:
1440:
1450:
1460:
1470:
1480:
1490:
1500: WFED Washington, DC
1510: WLAC Nashville, TN
1520: WWKB Buffalo/1521 het
1530: WCKY Cincinatti
1540: prob KXEL Waterloo, IA
1550: mess
1560: WINT Melbourne, FL
1570: XERF/mess
1580: mess
1590: Mess
1600: Preacher/mess
1610: Tampa International Airport TIS
1620: Cuba
1630: Camera interference
1640: WTNI Blioxi, MS
1650: WHKT Hampton Roads, VA/KCNZ Cedar Falls, IA?
1660: WBCN Charlotte, NC
1670: WFSM Macon, GA
1680: WOKB Winter Garden, FL
1690: WMLB Atlanta, GA
1700: WJCC Miami Springs, FL

-crainbebo

 

[jd]

1180: Radio Marti/Cuban jammer

Here in East Texas I hear the Cuban station(s) with no trace of Radio Marti. That's not surprising at all since so much of Radio Marti's signal is directed toward Cuba, but I also have heard all kinds of conflicting stories over the years (25 years, in fact, since they first came on). One said that Radio Marti was sending 99% of their 100,000 watt signal over Cuba; another stated that some nights it could be heard as far north as Washington DC. The fact that the FCC isn't the agency that authorized the station adds some confusion as well. They don't have jurisdiction over it, of course, but they "recognize" its existence and have issued opinions that Radio Marti deserves protection from co-channel or adjacent channel protection just like any other domestic station.

I read one person's description of the pattern, which he described as "very broad" and rather circular, like the majority of the 50,000 watt Class A (former clear channel) stations in the U.S. The difference, he said, was that Radio Marti's transmitter site at Marathon was at the far northern edge, not the middle of that supposed "circular" pattern. Frankly, I'd like to see it but have run into nothing but dead ends. Can anyone provide a working link?

 

[schmave]

1180: Radio Marti/Cuban jammer

Here in East Texas I hear the Cuban station(s) with no trace of Radio Marti. That's not surprising at all since so much of Radio Marti's signal is directed toward Cuba, but I also have heard all kinds of conflicting stories over the years (25 years, in fact, since they first came on). One said that Radio Marti was sending 99% of their 100,000 watt signal over Cuba; another stated that some nights it could be heard as far north as Washington DC. The fact that the FCC isn't the agency that authorized the station adds some confusion as well. They don't have jurisdiction over it, of course, but they "recognize" its existence and have issued opinions that Radio Marti deserves protection from co-channel or adjacent channel protection just like any other domestic station.

I read one person's description of the pattern, which he described as "very broad" and rather circular, like the majority of the 50,000 watt Class A (former clear channel) stations in the U.S. The difference, he said, was that Radio Marti's transmitter site at Marathon was at the far northern edge, not the middle of that supposed "circular" pattern. Frankly, I'd like to see it but have run into nothing but dead ends. Can anyone provide a working link?

Agreed. I don't know a lick of Spanish (outside the occasional words many Americans know) so I can't help, but I too have read conflicting reports on just how directional Marti is. Some places I've read say it's so directional you can see the towers from the north and not hear the signal. Given a salt water path, that's pretty outstanding.
If I ever make it to Key West, I'll be monitoring 1180 closely on the drive down and not understand a word of it!
One note on crainbebo's observations ... I could hear WBBM just barely on 780. I admit I tried to hear it knowing he made the recording during the Bears' Sunday night game, which I could hear loud and clear up here in Ohio.