Years ago, in the mid-60's when I was living in Warren, OH, WHLO-640 was a GREAT Top-40 station. They were 1000 watts DAYTIME ONLY BUT.....Since the station they were protecting on 640 was KFI, they were allowed to remain on-the-air until LOCAL SUNSET IN Los Angeles. In the winter, this was around 8 PM Akron Time, but in the summer, they were on until about 11 PM. Back then, their Sign/on time was at Akron sunrise. In more recent years, they were granted an increase to 5KW days and 500 Watts at night.
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Strong AM signals
- Thread starter Len14043
- Start date
When listening on 640 down here at night, you'd think WVLG from The Villages would be a constant catch but it's weird.
Most of the time, I can't hear them at all but during the times they come in for short periods, they have a pretty good signal and rule the frequency.
What really gets in the way is that Cuban station on 640.
I have a theory when it comes to hearing stations like KFI, KNX, and KNBR in the eastern part of the country.
If all other stations on any given one of those frequencies were off the air except KFI, KNX, and KNBR, I'll bet at least a trace of them could almost always be heard here in Florida, the midwest, and the northeast.
They are probably there most of the time but can't be detected in the mix.
Most of the time, I can't hear them at all but during the times they come in for short periods, they have a pretty good signal and rule the frequency.
What really gets in the way is that Cuban station on 640.
I have a theory when it comes to hearing stations like KFI, KNX, and KNBR in the eastern part of the country.
If all other stations on any given one of those frequencies were off the air except KFI, KNX, and KNBR, I'll bet at least a trace of them could almost always be heard here in Florida, the midwest, and the northeast.
They are probably there most of the time but can't be detected in the mix.
Back in the mid-1960's when WHLO pulled the plug at KFI's California Sunset, I would often hear KFI after the WHLO carrier dropped. Remember, back in the 1960's, a Class 1-A Clear Channel station was the ONLY station that operated on that frequency in the U.S. at night. KFI-640 was a Class 1-A station. KNX and KNBR were Class 1-B stations meaning they were dominate stations on their frequency, but other distant stations could operate on their frequencies at night.
By the way, I heard KNBR just before sunrise (about 7:00 AM) here in Lexington, KY on my clock radio last week. Usually 680 is a mix of WPTF and WCTT in these parts at night. KFI has been really tough here in recent years with all the clutter that has been added to the 640 frequency at night.
By the way, I heard KNBR just before sunrise (about 7:00 AM) here in Lexington, KY on my clock radio last week. Usually 680 is a mix of WPTF and WCTT in these parts at night. KFI has been really tough here in recent years with all the clutter that has been added to the 640 frequency at night.
Given how strong the 640 out of Eastern Cuba is(and the fact that WVLG is only 860 watts at night) ; I'm amazed that you ever get WVLG in Tampa at night; WVLG comes in 24/7 at my second listening post, near the intersection of U.S. Hwy 310 and S. R. 50 in eastern Hernando county, but here in St. Pete, I can't pick up WVLG at all at any time..... but 640 out of Cuba scans like a local 24/7!gar fla said:
drt
Wow. Rick Shaw.
I remember him from KFRC back when I spent a couple of summers with my older brother when he lived in Fairfield, California.
I was really a big fan of Dr. Don Rose in the mornings, especially because he originally was at WFIL Philadelphia.
Dr. Don often had me laughing my ass off because his humor seemed so shocking at the time.
I remember him from KFRC back when I spent a couple of summers with my older brother when he lived in Fairfield, California.
I was really a big fan of Dr. Don Rose in the mornings, especially because he originally was at WFIL Philadelphia.
Dr. Don often had me laughing my ass off because his humor seemed so shocking at the time.
Actually, I'm talking about the other Rick Shaw, not the one who is a legend in Miami. This Rick went on to work in Cleveland for a couple of years and then disappeared. Maybe he disappeared to San Francisco.gar fla said:
A little research tells me that there was yet a 3rd Rick Shaw, well traveled same as most jocks, who worked at KFRC in 1975. He's dead.
schmave said:
I have tried this and it's enabled me to pull in the likes of KFAB Omaha, KRVN Lexington, NE, and KSTP (we're in their null at night). Also, I think I've gotten a couple of Denver area signals (in addition to KOA). But nothing from any farther west so far.
One problem is that the dial in this part of the US is so full that signals from the NW US have a lot of competition, even during critical hours. Besides, I think the propagation is still better later at night and you need good propagation to pull off 1,000+ mile catches.
One station I never thought od listening for is 1530 KFBK from Sacramento.
WCKY has a pretty strong signal but when I null it out as good as possible with the receiver facing west, I can often hear what sounds like a weak news or talk station.
According to the AM frequency logs, KFBK is the only station on 1530 at night with a news/talk format.
I have to ID this mystery station!
WCKY has a pretty strong signal but when I null it out as good as possible with the receiver facing west, I can often hear what sounds like a weak news or talk station.
According to the AM frequency logs, KFBK is the only station on 1530 at night with a news/talk format.
I have to ID this mystery station!
See, here's something I don't get. These stations go to directional patterns (sometimes quite severe) to protect each other, yet seem to be heard well into these supposed nulls at nighttime. I remember a poster from Nashville saying once he heard the Spokane (or Seattle?) station on 1510 in WLAC's null ... apparently that western station that's supposed to be protecting WLAC is doing a bad job!
Here in Ohio, I commonly hear both KRLD and WTIC even though they are supposed to throw mutual nulls at each other.
Point being, if you are hearing the Sacramento 1530 in Florida their null must not be that good!
Trust me, I have no problem with hearing different stations. But these protection nulls often seem to not work!
Here in Ohio, I commonly hear both KRLD and WTIC even though they are supposed to throw mutual nulls at each other.
Point being, if you are hearing the Sacramento 1530 in Florida their null must not be that good!
Trust me, I have no problem with hearing different stations. But these protection nulls often seem to not work!
Here is the nighttime pattern for KFBK. Notice they have a strong null to protect Cincinnati but notice the loop of the signal that goes southeast. Not exactly in this direction but still generally.
http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=KFBK&service=AM&status=L&hours=N
And you'd think WWKB could only be heard east, north, and south of Buffalo but some here also say they can get it hundreds of miles west too.
http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WWKB&service=AM&status=L&hours=U
http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=KFBK&service=AM&status=L&hours=N
And you'd think WWKB could only be heard east, north, and south of Buffalo but some here also say they can get it hundreds of miles west too.
http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WWKB&service=AM&status=L&hours=U
schmave said:
I think that poster was me... Yes, I logged KGA Spokane while WLAC was on the air -- I am indeed in WLAC's nighttime null, about 15 miles northwest of their transmitter.
A number of DXers had been hearing KGA further east than normal. I suspect there was something wrong with KGA's antenna. They seem to have repaired it, as the reports of KGA in places east of the Rockies have dried up.
And I've certainly heard things that shouldn't be possible! All three Midwestern 1130s, for example. (Minneapolis, Milwaukee, and Detroit)
I think sometimes it happens because the patterns are temporarily out of whack; sometimes it happens because one is listening right around sunrise/sunset when the station is on day pattern but the sun is down; and sometimes it happens because conditions are just plain strange. Long-distance propagation conditions on AM change a lot more from day to day than most people think.
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