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It had 10 presets?

I found a Farnsworth Console from 1940 with 6 presets at an Antique Show. Four had call letters on the buttons. WKZO, WGN, No Tab, WBBM, No Tab, WOOD. The sixth preset has an open lead, you occasionally hear some unidentified SW activity, from the slight series Capacitance of the open gap. There's some bad trimmer capacitors which heat up and open, and shift the oscillator frequency. I suspect that the third preset had WJR, and the fifth had WLS. I told the Antique Dealer the radio was from near Grand Rapids. He was very impressed. Maybe they later set the other buttons to WJEF and WLAV and removed the call letter tabs.
 
cyberdad said:
To answer your question.....

My grandparents lived in Woodstock, IL. That's about eight miles northwest of my current location. I believe the radio was a Stromberg-Carlson, but I'm not 100% sure. I'm also not 100% sure about the buttons, but to the best of my memory.....

560-WIND
620-WTMJ
670-WMAQ
720-WGN
780-WBBM
820-WAIT
890-WLS/WENR
1000-WCFL
1160-WJJD
1440-WROK (Rockford, IL)
Click to expand...
My aunt and uncle had a radio like that. I remember asking my cousin who was also interested in radio about WENR.
I was too young to remember it on AM.
 
I found an old console radio at an estate sale about a month ago near Cle Elum. Obviously can't lug the heavy thing into a sedan and take it home, but as I recall, KIRO, KJR, KOMO, KMO (now KKMO), and KSL (nighttime of course) were on the buttons. There may have been one more.
 
I was able to get on the Global Tuners receiver in Edinburgh, Indiana last night and work a massive Es opening to New England and the Maritimes. This was as Bryce Foster on Cape Cod was getting 162 mhz Es to IL and MO. Some stations heard include WBOS-92.9 Boston, WEEI-93.7 Boston, WEVS-88.3 Nashua NH, WPVQ-95.3 MA (only 610 watts), WTBP-89.7 ME (Relevant Radio), WOKQ-97.5 Dover NH, WYNZ-100.9 ME, WCTB-93.5 ME, WBYA-105.5 ME, CBHM-106.5 NS (very strong at times), CFBO-90.7 NB and CHNI-88.9 MB. Many channels were multiple deep with swapping. Lots of fun!
 
A couple of new ones for me this morning around 5am CDT. Half hour before local sunrise.

First one was on 1450. WHTC from Holland, Michigan. Only 113 miles, but I've never heard it here before. It rose to the top several times during the nearly half hour I spent on the channel. Three or four positive IDs during that period, between news, weather, and sports as well as commercials.

1450 has become an interesting channel for me since WCEV from Cicero, IL has gone dark. Even with WRLL continuing there on a part-time basis.

Second was a bit of a mystery. 1380. where I landed after I got off 1450. I was hearing "Relevant Radio." Itwas on top for about 5 or 10 minutes before a Spanish language station took over. I never did hear anything resembling an ID, so that's where the guessing begins. To wit, my best guess is WMJR from Nicholasville, KY (Lexington area), on 5kw non-directional day pattern. R-L lists a couple of other Relevant Radio outlets that could theoretically doable, but more difficult as a practical matter.

I'll keep trying 1380 in the mornings ahead to see if I can ID what I heard today.
 
Only thing that comes to mind is that KXFN St Louis has switched to Spanish language Relevant Radio... but if you heard something in English it couldn't be that. (It could be the Spanish language station that took over afterwards, however.)

I haven't gotten WHTC despite being in a favorable location for me, directly across the lake. My apartment faces south so if I can identify anything when WRLL is off, it will normally be WAOV which is due south of me in Central Indiana. Next time I go to the lakeshore to listen, I'll try for WHTC.
 
MichaelTheZ said:
Only thing that comes to mind is that KXFN St Louis has switched to Spanish language Relevant Radio... but if you heard something in English it couldn't be that. (It could be the Spanish language station that took over afterwards, however.)

I haven't gotten WHTC despite being in a favorable location for me, directly across the lake. My apartment faces south so if I can identify anything when WRLL is off, it will normally be WAOV which is due south of me in Central Indiana. Next time I go to the lakeshore to listen, I'll try for WHTC.
Click to expand...
I definiitely didn't hear Relevant radio in Spanish.

As for WHTC.... For a station I hadn't heard before, the signal was remarkably good. At least by GY channel standards. I'm guessing with WRLL off, you might even be able to snag WHTC during daytime. Happy hunting!
 
Well, I couldn't resist temptation... I walked up to the lakeshore, set the radio on 1450, and there it was, WHTC. It had a rather weak signal (and there was thunder around) but I got the ID. Thanks for the tip.
 
Apparently, there are areas near Holland, MI which exceed M-3. Along with areas in excess of 2 mS/m M-3, Lake Macatawa and the Macatawa River, Lake Michigan is internationally shown as 10 mS/m, exceeding M-3, which is 8 mS/m. Hence WHTC is probably a lot stronger than predicted along the Chicago Lakeshore region, where WCFL used to quote the weather forecasts as "cooler near the lake". You can zoom in and see where the WHTC tower is, and the region shown at the link below. You may not have ever heard it because of the Cicero station almost always being on the air, and in the opposite direction. Anyone ever try a cardioid pattern marine navigation direction finder on situations like this?

There was an application online that did some radials on WHTC, but not to the West, which might be expected to be higher also.

When WMFN was licensed to Zeeland, MI, it also had a signal which exceeded expectations, from a tower a few miles East of the WHTC tower.


 
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Schroedingers Cat said:
Apparently, there are areas near Holland, MI which exceed M-3. Along with areas in excess of 2 mS/m M-3, Lake Macatawa and the Macatawa River, Lake Michigan is internationally shown as 10 mS/m, exceeding M-3, which is 8 mS/m. Hence WHTC is probably a lot stronger than predicted along the Chicago Lakeshore region, where WCFL used to quote the weather forecasts as "cooler near the lake". You can zoom in and see where the WHTC tower is, and the region shown at the link below. You may not have ever heard it because of the Cicero station almost always being on the air, and in the opposite direction.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info and the links. The Cicero 1450s were always weak enough that you could always hear stuff underneath them. Most notably KFIZ in Fon Du Lac, Wisconsin and WKEI in Kewanee, IL. Both overachieving from time to time. But never WHTC. And you're absolutely right about the former home base for WMFN. Usually audible here in daytime, sometimes with WOI underneath,
 
Great Es into the Rio Grande Valley of TX (Harlingen) today around 11AM-Noon CDT. I was driving so forgive me for not having full information

95.1 WXIL Parkersburg WV "My 95.1"
96.5 WETK Cincinnati OH (1385 mi)
98.9 WBYR Fort Wayne IN "98.9 The Bear" (1472 mi)
99.9 WTHI Terre Haute IN (1269 mi)


Others with incomplete information........

99.1 commercial for "Ohio Roofing"
100.7 "New Mix Music"
101.7 Fort Wayne?
106.9 "Total Takeover"
 
Smittian said:
Great Es into the Rio Grande Valley of TX (Harlingen) today around 11AM-Noon CDT. I was driving so forgive me for not having full information

95.1 WXIL Parkersburg WV "My 95.1"
96.5 WETK Cincinnati OH (1385 mi)
98.9 WBYR Fort Wayne IN "98.9 The Bear" (1472 mi)
99.9 WTHI Terre Haute IN (1269 mi)


Others with incomplete information........

99.1 commercial for "Ohio Roofing"
100.7 "New Mix Music"
101.7 Fort Wayne?
106.9 "Total Takeover"
Click to expand...
98.9 The Bear was a long ago employer of mine.
106.9 is probably WXXC, Marion, IN (I can't verify "total takeover" as a feature). 101.7 is WLDE Fort Wayne most likely. Always good to hear my current or former home stations getting out there.
 
A couple I pulled in today in Knoxville TN
87.9 UNID, Spanish (Mexico)
88.1 KHOY, Laredo TX, standing out with Beautiful music
88.5 KEOM Mesquite TX
92.5 K223CT "92.5 and 93.3 The Bull--San Antonio TX
Someone on 88.1 and 88.5 in the 1pm EDT hour with a talk show complaining about the Texas Democrats flying to Washington
 
Eskip went insanely crazy in the east tonight, almost reminiscent of July 6th, 2004's opening when it went to channel 13. There was an MUF calculated at 200mhz and a couple of folks had subdecode spikes on DT 7 that were not local tropo scatter, definitely Es. But no decodes. Darn it. Logged from the Global Tuners receiver in Milford, Pennsylvania tonight, thick in the pea soup, sounding like never-ending meteor scatter bursts, and channels at times SIX to SEVEN deep...many RDS hits but many dozens or 100s more without:

162.425 UNID NWR Es fadeups! Central Daylight time, but no city mentioned when it was clear, just generic extended forecasts.
107.9 WHTA Atlanta
106.5 WAVH Daphne AL
105.7 KPNT St. Louis MO
tentative 93.7 KSD St. Louis MO (buried with at least 4 others!)
103.3 KWOZ Batesville AR
103.3 KLOU St. Louis MO (mixed with KWOZ, and 1-2 others)
94.5 KKLR Poplar Bluff MO
96.3 WFUN St. Louis MO
96.5 WMJJ Birmingham AL
89.7 WUSF Tampa FL
100.9 WJXN Utica MS - Jack FM, 'Ghostbusters' coming in so strong like it was 5 mi away, pegging S-meter
100.3 KLRZ LaRose LA - ESPN
99.5 WRNO New Orleans
101.9 WLMG New Orleans
96.9 KZMZ Alexandria LA
97.1 WEZB New Orleans LA
93.1 KQID Alexandria LA
104.1 KVDU Houma LA
104.5 KKMY Orange TX
102.7 WXHT Madison FL
100.5 WJQX Helena AL (with 'Trash Panda' minor league baseball from Huntsville!)
95.5 KAFX Diboll TX
94.1 KKPT Little Rock AR
92.9 KNIN-FM Wichita Falls TX (nearly 1400 mi)
97.7 WYYX Bonifer FL
92.5 WPAP Panama City FL
98.5 WFSY Panama City FL
100.1 WWLY Panama City FL
92.1 WECQ Destin FL
95.5 WTVY-FM Dothan AL
89.5 WGTF Dothan AL
And a strange UNID on 97.9. Is there a station ANYWHERE in this path area (yes, I know, 100s of miles worth), that has a gigantic Adult Hits or Adult Contemporary playlist? Someone was playing Richard Marx's 'Hazard', a song from 1992 that topped the AC charts briefly. I have never heard that song on the radio, so whoever played it has a large playlist (i.e., non-iHeart, non-Cumulus, non-Audacy/Entercom station). Help!

Lots of fun.
 
crainbebo said:
Eskip went insanely crazy in the east tonight, almost reminiscent of July 6th, 2004's opening when it went to channel 13. There was an MUF calculated at 200mhz and a couple of folks had subdecode spikes on DT 7 that were not local tropo scatter, definitely Es. But no decodes. Darn it. Logged from the Global Tuners receiver in Milford, Pennsylvania tonight, thick in the pea soup, sounding like never-ending meteor scatter bursts, and channels at times SIX to SEVEN deep...many RDS hits but many dozens or 100s more without:
.
Click to expand...
Nice list. Nice story. Congrats!

A couple of those caught my attention because I'm familiar with them. First is WRNO, which as you undoubtedly know was on shortwave for a number of years. In the 70s and 80s it was a go-to rock station for me whenever I was in New Orleans,

Then there's WAVH, which is a fairly regular rimshot signal when I'm on the beach near Pensacola. But the signal there isn't competitive with the Mobile-Pensacola big sticks, which are mounted on tall TV towers midway between those two cities near Loxley, Alabama. Loxley is about 25 miles inland and 25 miles between the two medium-sized cities that comprise the market. Signals from there probably have the ability to peel paint at tomservo's home.

Back to WAVH, they picked up those calls as "The Wave", when the Mobile 96.1 flipped from oldies sometime around 2000. They also picked up the oldies format....for a while. The COL, Daphne, is further inland than the TV towers,(unless you count Mobile Bay), and closer to Mobile. I don't think it's listenable in most of Pensacola. But obviously it's listenable in Washington State during an Eskip event. Nicely done!
 
Not heard in Washington.
Heard on a Global Tuners receiver in Milford, Pennsylvania. Near the NY border.

Oh, and BTW, I am tentatively logging the 97.9 as KFBD Waynesville MO, I can't find anyone else remotely close that would have a song like that.
 
crainbebo said:
Eskip went insanely crazy in the east tonight, almost reminiscent of July 6th, 2004's opening when it went to channel 13. There was an MUF calculated at 200mhz and a couple of folks had subdecode spikes on DT 7 that were not local tropo scatter, definitely Es. But no decodes. Darn it. Logged from the Global Tuners receiver in Milford, Pennsylvania tonight, thick in the pea soup, sounding like never-ending meteor scatter bursts, and channels at times SIX to SEVEN deep...many RDS hits but many dozens or 100s more without:

162.425 UNID NWR Es fadeups! Central Daylight time, but no city mentioned when it was clear, just generic extended forecasts.
107.9 WHTA Atlanta
106.5 WAVH Daphne AL
105.7 KPNT St. Louis MO
tentative 93.7 KSD St. Louis MO (buried with at least 4 others!)
103.3 KWOZ Batesville AR
103.3 KLOU St. Louis MO (mixed with KWOZ, and 1-2 others)
94.5 KKLR Poplar Bluff MO
96.3 WFUN St. Louis MO
96.5 WMJJ Birmingham AL
89.7 WUSF Tampa FL
100.9 WJXN Utica MS - Jack FM, 'Ghostbusters' coming in so strong like it was 5 mi away, pegging S-meter
100.3 KLRZ LaRose LA - ESPN
99.5 WRNO New Orleans
101.9 WLMG New Orleans
96.9 KZMZ Alexandria LA
97.1 WEZB New Orleans LA
93.1 KQID Alexandria LA
104.1 KVDU Houma LA
104.5 KKMY Orange TX
102.7 WXHT Madison FL
100.5 WJQX Helena AL (with 'Trash Panda' minor league baseball from Huntsville!)
95.5 KAFX Diboll TX
94.1 KKPT Little Rock AR
92.9 KNIN-FM Wichita Falls TX (nearly 1400 mi)
97.7 WYYX Bonifer FL
92.5 WPAP Panama City FL
98.5 WFSY Panama City FL
100.1 WWLY Panama City FL
92.1 WECQ Destin FL
95.5 WTVY-FM Dothan AL
89.5 WGTF Dothan AL
And a strange UNID on 97.9. Is there a station ANYWHERE in this path area (yes, I know, 100s of miles worth), that has a gigantic Adult Hits or Adult Contemporary playlist? Someone was playing Richard Marx's 'Hazard', a song from 1992 that topped the AC charts briefly. I have never heard that song on the radio, so whoever played it has a large playlist (i.e., non-iHeart, non-Cumulus, non-Audacy/Entercom station). Help!

Lots of fun.
Click to expand...
We just saw the Trash Pandas playing the Tennessee Smokies a couple of weeks ago.
106.9, possibility but not probable would be WXXC, Marion, IN.
 


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