Reception question

[radiojay1]

I know most of the Toronto AMs and FMs can be heard well in Buffalo and much of Northwest New York close to Lake Ontario, but can the Buffalo AMs and FMs be heard well in Toronto? How about the Rochester AMs and FMs? Northwest New York has a lot of choices on the radio with the Buffalo and Toronto stations.

 

[Tincap]

I know most of the Toronto AMs and FMs can be heard well in Buffalo and much of Northwest New York close to Lake Ontario, but can the Buffalo AMs and FMs be heard well in Toronto? How about the Rochester AMs and FMs? Northwest New York has a lot of choices on the radio with the Buffalo and Toronto stations.

I live about 200 miles down the 401 east of Toronto and receive several Buffalo and Rochester AMs (along with Syracuse AM and several FM, Watertown AM/FM, etc.) including 550 WGR, 1520 WWKB and 1180 WHAM during day/night.

Given the crowded FM band here, the only regular visitor, which you'd probably also pick up in your neck of the woods, is St. Catherine's 97.7 CHTZ (which dukes it out here with Montreal's CHOM for dial space). Toronto's 91.1 JAZZ FM and Q107 have also made it my way on a regular basis, but the Rochester and Buffalo FMs are shut out by the local signals. Several of the Syracuse stations make regular visits, but are on the fringe.

~BG

 

[Blackroc]

Can any CBC AM stations be heard in the Eastern US evenings? I realize most have gone to FM (like 1070 Moncton).

 

[w9wi]

Can any CBC AM stations be heard in the Eastern US evenings? I realize most have gone to FM (like 1070 Moncton).

There are now no CBC AM stations between WIndsor (CBE-1550) and Sydney. (CBI-1140) Both of these stations have permits to move to FM (I'm not entirely certain Sydney hasn't already done so) and when that happens, there will be none between Winnipeg and Newfoundland.

(well, there may be a 40-watt LPRT or two. And, there is still 50kw CJBC-860 Toronto on the French-language network.)

Some nights, CBW-990 Winnipeg is quite listenable here in Nashville.

 

[Dan Sys]

From what I've been able to gather CBI is still on 1140. This past summer they were granted an extension until July 9, 2010 to flip to 97.1 (the calls will then change to CBIT). There were apparently some projections done that showed coverage for the new FM signal would be inferior compared to the existing signal on 1140 and a lot of nearby communities would likely lose their CBC Radio One service. The CBC's solution was to put translators in these communities, but I haven't heard anything else about this recently.

 

[Tincap]

Can any CBC AM stations be heard in the Eastern US evenings? I realize most have gone to FM (like 1070 Moncton).

There are now no CBC AM stations between WIndsor (CBE-1550) and Sydney. (CBI-1140) Both of these stations have permits to move to FM (I'm not entirely certain Sydney hasn't already done so) and when that happens, there will be none between Winnipeg and Newfoundland.

(well, there may be a 40-watt LPRT or two. And, there is still 50kw CJBC-860 Toronto on the French-language network.)

Some nights, CBW-990 Winnipeg is quite listenable here in Nashville.

Here CBW sometimes overpowers Montreal CKGM (The Team) and Rochester's WDCX. In Newfoundland, St. John's 640 CBN sends out 10kW, while 1400 CBG Gander is listed at 4kW, so the chances of getting a good signal thrown into the US north-east are (unfortunately) pretty limited.

Now...there certainly is a flame thrower from Nashville, burning up the dial on 650, up here!

~BG

 

[w9wi]

Yeah, unfortunately I know all about that one! (and unfortunately, it ensures I'm not going to hear CBN!)

"Here" is the GTA, right?

 

[Blackroc]

I gave CBE a check and they aren't doing too badly, given that I think they're only running 10k. Their stick must be near WJR's in Detroit--who's running 50k CC-- and I'd rate them a 4 in Windsor, while 'JR is a solid 7. I can't get CBC on 1140 at all

I'd rate the Ontario stations: 1. Am740, 2. CHML 900, 3. CBJC 860 all doing pretty well here south of Boston.

 

[mimo]

Having lived in Toronto, All the the Buffalo AM's can be heard, with the exception of AM 1440, as it's blown off by CHKT 1430. The lower powered AM's are weak at best but can still be heard. Stations like WJR, WTOR, WBEN and the public station at 970 along with WWKB have local quality signals in Toronto. The FM's are a totally different story, those that do make it are weak and spotty at best. As far as Rochester, you can only hear 2 AM's. 990 is very weak, but 1180 is moderate. The night signal for 1180 is not that great, at least compared to how I heard it when I lived in Iowa. The only Buffalo AM's that can be heard at night in Toronto are 550, 930, 970 and 1520. That was the experience I had at home and walking about in my neighbourho0d which was just west of downtown. Tincap lives about an hour or so south of me, and I'm in Ottawa. WHAM 1180 can be heard here weakly on an excellent radio, until last spring it was impossible as it was squeezed off the dial. WYSL can be heard better, and 1460 makes it up here at night when it's not fighting CJOY out of Guelph, just west of Toronto. Daytime reception for 1460 is reduced to the occasional fade up from time to time... As far as Buffalo up here, it's WGR daytime with a weak but steady signal. WWKB fades in and out during the summer and is pretty much a 24 hour station this time of year.

 

[Tincap]

"Here" is the GTA, right?

"Here" for me is about 50 miles south of Ottawa, just north of the St. Lawrence river.

Hey, although I'm not a fan of C&W, I actually don't mind WSM. Some of the programming almost puts it into the 'global' category for me, as I find the really old school C&W music to be very unique. Much of today's C&W is too pop/crossover for my listening tastes.

~BG

 

[adamgre]

can anyone remember what FM reception was like from Buffalo before the CN Tower was built? i am talking about Toronto