Rock station on 560 AM

[mimo]

I'm hearing a station at 560 AM playing Alternative rock with the occasional Top 40 rock hit and classic rock hit being thrown in. My radio is facing north to null out CFOS 560 and WFIL is in the back ground. I don't know who this station is, the signal fades occasionally and I think it's a station stunting. The last 15 minutes has resulted in hearing Primus, Moby, 2 Sex Pistols tracks, into Matchbox 20 then fade. Earlier I heard a couple of Led Zeppelin tracks. I have absolutely no idea who this is, but if there's a station playing eclectic rock on 560 AM regularly, I think I'm going to be a regular listener. It's fading back up with "Do You Remember Rock and Roll Radio" by the Ramones...how fitting. There's a bit of a splatter problem from local CFRA 580.

¿Does anyone know anything about this? I'm in Ottawa, the signal is really not that fantastic overall. When it's in it's fairly clear, but when it's out, it's out for about half a song. I'm using a C.C. Radio plus with no external antenna.

 

[fybush]

WCKL Catskill NY, south of Albany. When last I heard them a month or so ago, their ID was running at about :18 and :48 past the hour.

 

[Tincap]

WCKL Catskill NY, south of Albany. When last I heard them a month or so ago, their ID was running at about :18 and :48 past the hour.

Wow, I guess they haven't gotten around to the black talk format yet, eh? According to Wiki they're pushing 43 watts at night, but surely they must be running the full 1000 watts for mimo to pick it up in Ottawa (I'm hearing it too, but I'm 50 miles south of Ottawa).

BTW, Mr. Fybush, I just want to say that I really enjoy NERW. Your dedication and that of Mr. Mielke's, over at MMU, are a great resource for (tuner) knobs like my-self. ;D

BG

 

[mimo]

WCKL Catskill NY, south of Albany. When last I heard them a month or so ago, their ID was running at about :18 and :48 past the hour.

I never heard any ID's, it may have occured during a fadeout. There were no ads either. Just wall to wall music. If they are running 43 watts, it's possible they could make it here. If there's a lobe in our direction, and the conditions are right, it could explain the signal that was at times excellent and other times non-existant. It's in again tonight.

 

[BobOnTheJob]

43 watts at the low end of the dial at night will often outperform 1000 watts at the high end. Their signal is aimed northwest. 43 watts vs 1000 watts is about an 5:1 signal reduction in round numbers. Good chance that you're indeed hearing 43 watts.

 

[Tincap]

43 watts at the low end of the dial at night will often outperform 1000 watts at the high end. Their signal is aimed northwest. 43 watts vs 1000 watts is about an 5:1 signal reduction in round numbers. Good chance that you're indeed hearing 43 watts.

Interesting stuff. I'm not a techy at all, but given that info, when I'm looking for cross-Atlantic DX (for example), I should stick to the lower end of the band then, eh?

That WCKL did come in pretty strong at times, often stronger than WHAM which was being harrassed by the Cubans last night.

BG

 

[stormy01]

quote author=BobOnTheJob link=topic=149357.msg1259825#msg1259825 date=1248445886]
Interesting stuff. I'm not a techy at all, but given that info, when I'm looking for cross-Atlantic DX (for example), I should stick to the lower end of the band then, eh?
[/quote]

Not necessarily. The higher one moves up the dial on the MW band it seems like there is a larger percentage of the signal becoming sky wave as opposed to a ground wave signal. The lower end of the MW has characteristics somewhat like Long Wave: a sizable proportion of a signal in the LW spectrum tends to be a ground wave. My experience is that the middle to the high end of the MW band seems to work better, at least in the Midwestern states. I have heard Norway on 1314 and Croatia on 1134, and "hets" on 891, 963, 1107, 1206, 1215, 1377, 1439 and 1512 but could never positively identify those since these were heterodynes - no discernible audio. In reading DX reports of transatlantic MW DX, it seems that the lower frequency MW stations (below about 900 kHz) are more likely to make it to the east coast, but less likely further inland. I would scan the entire MW band and LW also particularly in the late fall, winter and early spring months. MW and LW reception can tend to peak at the vernal and autumnal equinoxes around March 20 and September 20.