I have to agree that TN being left out of X band allocations is a little hard to understand. But The X band can still sometimes offer good opportunities for daytime skywave DX. Especially during winter months.
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The Expanded AM Band
- Thread starter Cordelia Chase
- Start date
One of the early requirements of the expanded band stations were that they broadcast in AM stereo. In a few years, most of these stations paid lip-service to that requirement, knowing that they weren't going to face any real consequences for ignoring that rule.
For 10 kHz of bandwidth, AM stereo sounded good, and that kind of bandwidth-saving tech could be useful in a better application later.
KCJJ used stereo until they were no longer able to get affordable to do so. One night, I was walking and listening to them as they played "Connected" by the Stereo M.C.'s. The song already shifts from left to right--the platform motion from C-Quam made the song even more ethereal.
For 10 kHz of bandwidth, AM stereo sounded good, and that kind of bandwidth-saving tech could be useful in a better application later.
KCJJ used stereo until they were no longer able to get affordable to do so. One night, I was walking and listening to them as they played "Connected" by the Stereo M.C.'s. The song already shifts from left to right--the platform motion from C-Quam made the song even more ethereal.
These stations come in well in the evenings here....
1660 - WCNZ - Marco Island - Relevant Radio - Catholic- 2023
1670 - WMGE - Dry Branch GA - BIN 1670 - Black Information Radio - 2023
1700 - WJCC - Miami Springs - Radio Mega - Kreyol programs - 2022
kw - Melbourne FL
1660 - WCNZ - Marco Island - Relevant Radio - Catholic- 2023
1670 - WMGE - Dry Branch GA - BIN 1670 - Black Information Radio - 2023
1700 - WJCC - Miami Springs - Radio Mega - Kreyol programs - 2022
kw - Melbourne FL
I just listened to KCJJ Iowa City online, and it has an interesting mix of music. Musically, Wikipedia classifies KCJJ as Hot AC, but this does not seem to be a typical Hot AC station. Below is a list of songs that the station played when I listened.
"Something Better" - Audien ft. Lady A (2015)
"We Belong" - Pat Benatar (1984)
"Never Gonna Leave This Bed" - Maroon 5 (2011)
"Love It When You Hate Me" - Avril Lavigne ft. blackbear (2022)
"Good 4 U" - Olivia Rodrigo (2021)
"Word Up" - Cameo (1986)
"Perfect" - One Direction (2015)
The online stream is in stereo, but the quality is lower than that of other music station streams that I have listened to.
In addition to the music, KCJJ provides local and national news, as well as local sports and weather. It also provides play-by-play coverage of local high school basketball games.
I am amazed that a full-service radio station with an interesting mix of popular music remains in operation on the AM expanded band.
Sounds like a focus-tested, hits-only version of KLAN-93.5 in Glasgow MT. They play lots of new music (and often some singles get airplay before the big markets), and lots of older oh wow's. Curtis Stigers, rare Prince, Starship, TLC, etc.
What's amazing about KCJJ is that they have no FM translator unlike 80% of the AM stations in this country.
What's amazing about KCJJ is that they have no FM translator unlike 80% of the AM stations in this country.
My radio picked that one up. It wouldn't go any higher, though. It was only intended to go to 1600.
I replaced it a few years ago (with one I saw advertised here). It would be turning 40 next year and it wasn't working very well.
There used to be traffic reports on 1610.
I live near a college campus that used to have a carrier current radio station at 580.
Where did you pull THAT number out of?
At my St. Louis area QTH, CHHA Toronto puts a consistently solid signal on 1610.
Last week, I drove from downtown St. Louis north to Jersey County, IL at night and for fun checked in on that frequency. In the city KATZ is extremely strong, causing co-channel splatter on 1610. Once I reached Interstate 270 and MO 367 in north St. Louis County, KATZ's signal drops dramatically, and other stations roll in and out like an ocean tide.
In the past, KATZ had a night-dominant signal at my then residence 15 miles east of the tower, and produced co channel splatter on 1590 and 1610. Over the years, the signal has degraded, due to lack of maintenence of the grounding system or other factors.
On the other hand, CHHA being almost the sole occupant on 1610, has such a great signal that it's my 6'th AM preset in my car. It can be as reliable as CJBC 860 and CFZM 740 (preset 2 in my car).
Last week, I drove from downtown St. Louis north to Jersey County, IL at night and for fun checked in on that frequency. In the city KATZ is extremely strong, causing co-channel splatter on 1610. Once I reached Interstate 270 and MO 367 in north St. Louis County, KATZ's signal drops dramatically, and other stations roll in and out like an ocean tide.
In the past, KATZ had a night-dominant signal at my then residence 15 miles east of the tower, and produced co channel splatter on 1590 and 1610. Over the years, the signal has degraded, due to lack of maintenence of the grounding system or other factors.
On the other hand, CHHA being almost the sole occupant on 1610, has such a great signal that it's my 6'th AM preset in my car. It can be as reliable as CJBC 860 and CFZM 740 (preset 2 in my car).
Those traffic stations on 1610 -- several of which are still in operation in various states -- have nothing to do with the baby monitors, police calls and other early uses of the expanded band. They are TIS (Traveler Information Stations) and operated by state departments of transportation.
Carrier current stations were at the lower end of the dial because the way field strength is calculated in 47CFR15.221a. That is 15 uV/m at (47715 / freq-kHz) meters, or (156505 / freq-kHz) feet, which calculates to roughly 295 feet at 530 kHz and 92 feet at 1700 kHz.
In my hometown, also a college town, we had a carrier current station on 620 with transmitters in each residence hall. Rarely could it be heard from the street outside any building.
At one time I had a Craig shortwave radio that picked up the first shortwave band at 1.6 Mhz (1600 Khz) so it in effect it had the X band before it existed, but like was mentioned earlier I only occasionally picked up early cordless phones.
There was never any policy that. said every state would get an X-band station, though a few have more than one (Michigan has 2 close to each other). I'd have to look up what the requirements were, but the idea was never to let it get crowded, but to have a little less crowding in the legacy band.
I should have worded my post better. I know there was never a policy to dole out x band stations proportionately by state. I'm just a little suprised that as things unfolded, Tennessee never wound up without an X band station.
As I recall, there was what was supposed to be a temporary Canadian Border restriction, something like 200 miles, in which no US stations were authorized. In some cases, stations were allowed with reduced power at Night if they were somewhat closer. The Canadian stations near the border were on 1610, 1630, 1650, 1670, and 1690. US stations near the border were supposed to be on 1620, 1640, 1660, 1680, and 1700. The moved 1690 to Berwyn from somewhere else further away. But there wasn't another open window for other stations as I recall.
Alabama was only blessed with 1 expanded band station (1700 way up in Huntsville). Next closest is 1620 from Pensacola.
Neither did (or currently has) Arizona. All we get in this part of the country are 1660 in SLC, 1700 in Tijuana/San Diego, and a few other, mostly Spanish-language stations that I haven't been able to pin down.
The ICF-P26 radio that is pictured in the Amazon page you linked to actually goes up to 1700+ kHz. I have one. That pic is obviously an older one, perhaps of a prototype or a Japanese-only model. All ICF-P26s I am aware of go up to 1700 or higher.
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