RECEPTION OF CHICAGO AM'S IN ST. LOUIS

[radiotower40]

I wanted to ask if any of the 50kw Chicago AM's were audible during the day. I was on the Radio-Locator site and I
noticed that(according to RL, which isn't always accurate), that WSCR 670AM, WGN 720AM had WBBM 780 AM all
reached St. Louis, in particular WSCR, being so low on the dial. I'm sure WBBM is probably not great due to 770AM.
I worked and lived in the Springfield, IL. market in the mid 1990's, and remember getting most of the big AM's, and
even some smaller one's, clearly day and night, from both Chicago and St. Louis. I became a fan of KMOX during my
time there and listen to them often at night. The only St. Louis station I can get in Chicago, during the day is KTRS.
It is weak, but, audible on my car radio, even with WIND 560AM being so close.

I was also curious about which stations you can catch at night.


Thanks

TR1992

 

[Prais]

I grew up in Chicago. I lived in St. Louis from 1985 - 1994. WGN comes in quite well in St. Louis. I heard Wally Phillips last morning show in the parking lot of the Spanish Lake post office. I also regularly listened to WMAQ (now the Score). Score has a fabulous signal, probably the best in Chicago. WLS also comes in very good.

I live in Grand Rapids, MI now, and KMOX comes in at night and in the hours just before dawn.

 

[radioman148]

From the times I've been in St. Louis WSCR, WGN, & WLS all come in during the day.
WBBM is tough because of the local 770.

 

[Brother]

In south St. Louis, WSCR and WGN both come in fine during the daytime. WBBM is indeed tough due to WEW on 770, and WLS can also be tricky due to WIJR on 880 out of Highland, IL.

As far as the evening goes, the Chicago stations I hear regularly (in addition to 670, 720, 780, and 890) are WIND 560, WMVP 1000, and WYLL 1160. I have also rec'd WNWI 1080 before WRYT in Edwardsville signs on in the mornings, and I have heard WONX (now WCGO) 1590 pop in every so often around sunrise/sunset.

 

[radioman148]

In south St. Louis, WSCR and WGN both come in fine during the daytime. WBBM is indeed tough due to WEW on 770, and WLS can also be tricky due to WIJR on 880 out of Highland, IL.

As far as the evening goes, the Chicago stations I hear regularly (in addition to 670, 720, 780, and 890) are WIND 560, WMVP 1000, and WYLL 1160. I have also rec'd WNWI 1080 before WRYT in Edwardsville signs on in the mornings, and I have heard WONX (now WCGO) 1590 pop in every so often around sunrise/sunset.

I'm a little surprised that you get WIND with the local on 550 and the fact that WIND nulls their signal in that direction.

 

[cyberdad]

Its been a few years, but I've also caught WIND under the local 550 in St. Louis. If memory serves, KWTO is usually what's on top of 560 in St. Louis at night...barely (and if you're able to null 550).

 

[radioman148]

Its been a few years, but I've also caught WIND under the local 550 in St. Louis. If memory serves, KWTO is usually what's on top of 560 in St. Louis at night...barely (and if you're able to null 550).

KWTO is what I remember also. I also remember hearing WLS south of St. Louis during the day.

 

[Brother]

KWTO is definitely the dominant station on 560, but when it fades out periodically at night, WIND will then come in fairly well.

I should also point out at night, it isn't unusual for both WSCR and WLS to get pummeled in St. Louis city by the Cuban stations (WSCR moreso than WLS).

 

[radioman148]

KWTO is definitely the dominant station on 560, but when it fades out periodically at night, WIND will then come in fairly well.

I should also point out at night, it isn't unusual for both WSCR and WLS to get pummeled in St. Louis city by the Cuban stations (WSCR moreso than WLS).

I wouldn't think the Cuban stations would bother the Chicago AMs in St. Louis. I guess you never know with skywave.

 

[A#1]

The Gateway City is loaded with blowtorches. On the northside of Evansville, Indiana.....no problem with 550, 630 or 1120 during the day. Great signals. To a lesser extent, I can pick up 690 & 770. On the FM side, 101.1 comes in fine along the 1-64, I-164 corridor until it fades into some Nashville area station. Who needs Chicago when you have St. Louis. Granted 550 is not the great 55KSD of old, nor is 630 of it's KXOK heyday, but doggone it all, they have tremendous signals to this day.

 

[stormy01]

In south St. Louis, WSCR and WGN both come in fine during the daytime. WBBM is indeed tough due to WEW on 770, and WLS can also be tricky due to WIJR on 880 out of Highland, IL.

As far as the evening goes, the Chicago stations I hear regularly (in addition to 670, 720, 780, and 890) are WIND 560, WMVP 1000, and WYLL 1160. I have also rec'd WNWI 1080 before WRYT in Edwardsville signs on in the mornings, and I have heard WONX (now WCGO) 1590 pop in every so often around sunrise/sunset.

I'm surprised WYLL comes in at night - thought the majority of their signal goes North at night, or is this before WYLL goes to their night pattern?

 

[Brother]

I'm surprised WYLL comes in at night - thought the majority of their signal goes North at night, or is this before WYLL goes to their night pattern?

You're right, WYLL does come in best in the early evening before they switch patterns. However, it does pop up throughout the night. Very little comes through on 1160 in the evenings here, so even a faint-sounding, heavily-nulled WYLL can still make its way down to St. Louis. 1160 is usually a combination of KSL, WYLL, and KHPP in Waukon, IA with their satellite oldies format - and KHPP also shows how a tiny signal can get out and about without much interference to stop it.

 

[stormy01]

I'm surprised WYLL comes in at night - thought the majority of their signal goes North at night, or is this before WYLL goes to their night pattern?

You're right, WYLL does come in best in the early evening before they switch patterns. However, it does pop up throughout the night. Very little comes through on 1160 in the evenings here, so even a faint-sounding, heavily-nulled WYLL can still make its way down to St. Louis. 1160 is usually a combination of KSL, WYLL, and KHPP in Waukon, IA with their satellite oldies format - and KHPP also shows how a tiny signal can get out and about without much interference to stop it.

What about KJOC 1170 from Davenport? Does anyone hear KJOC in StL? (It comes in quite regularly in No. IL) Does anyone know if KRFT 1190 is on their new day/night power of 10/6.5kW?

 

[radioman148]

I would think WYLL comes into St Louis best before the pattern change.
I would also think their old night pattern did better in St. Louis than the current one.

 

[cyberdad]

What about KJOC 1170 from Davenport? Does anyone hear KJOC in StL? (It comes in quite regularly in No. IL) Does anyone know if KRFT 1190 is on their new day/night power of 10/6.5kW?

I'm going to guess not very often....if at all. Most of the juice goes north....even in the daytime.

But who knows....as KSTT, back in the day, 1170 was a rather tough catch in the Chicago area. Now it's a regular. I suspect that Cloud company is perhaps neglecting to properly maintain the DA, so maybe some of the signal is sneaking into St. Louis after all. At the other end of the river, its certainly never been a problem in Minneapolis.

 

[the golden boy]

I'm not surprised that the Chicago stations come in well into St. Louis in the day. I can hear those stations way down into southern Illinois, like around Marion and Carbondale.

 

[Brother]

What about KJOC 1170 from Davenport? Does anyone hear KJOC in StL? (It comes in quite regularly in No. IL) Does anyone know if KRFT 1190 is on their new day/night power of 10/6.5kW?

KJOC does come in most evenings, though it can be rather faint. The station I receive most often at night on 1170 is KFAQ in Tulsa.

As for KRFT, I can't say I've heard any difference in their nighttime signal. Two Tennessee stations on 1190, WLLI in Humboldt and WSDQ in Dunlap, have come in quite well recently. Even tonight, WLLI was mostly listenable under KRFT.

 

[cyberdad]

Have spent the first half of this week in Minnesota, and can definitely confirm that 1170 from Davenport is definitely pumping a fine signal into Minneapolis and points north.

 

[radioman148]

Have spent the first half of this week in Minnesota, and can definitely confirm that 1170 from Davenport is definitely pumping a fine signal into Minneapolis and points north.

Can you pick up 1160 WYLL in Minnesota now at night since they've changed their pattern & run 50K north at night?

 

[cyberdad]

Have spent the first half of this week in Minnesota, and can definitely confirm that 1170 from Davenport is definitely pumping a fine signal into Minneapolis and points north.

Can you pick up 1160 WYLL in Minnesota now at night since they've changed their pattern & run 50K north at night?

Yes....and quite well. Better than I had expected, actually. Blew out KSL and everything else on the channel. This was in Minneapolis. I didn't try 1160 when I was in the central part of the state.