Nick said:
What time of the day did you get WCBS when you were in Miami and what time of year was it?
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Tremendous Salt Water Propagation for AM
- Thread starter KR4BD
- Start date
What time of the day did you get WCBS when you were in Miami and what time of year was it?
In theory anyway, WCBS and WFAN should be heard right along the east coast of Florida in the daytime. Considering the many reports we now have of very good reception on the North Carolina outer banks, it would seem there would still be some signal left around the east coast of Florida. Right at the Gulf on the west coast, WWL has an impressive daytime signal, FAR stronger than what I hear inland 15 miles.
gar fla said:
The question then becomes how far can a 50KW station be heard via groundwave over saltwater?
We need someone who has DXed from Bermuda.
A buddy of mine once jocked at Top 40 WGLI 1290 in Babylon , out on Long Island, about 30 miles E of JFK on the south shore, and as such , ripe for these stretched salt-water-taffy signal issues.. The station had three sticks. It pulled in their signal away from 1280 NYC and away from 1300 New Haven, and as a result had a pretty neat laser going right through COL Babylon ..... and at Bermuda, day and night.
WGLI isn't on the air anymore, having been bought by NYC's WADO 1280 to free up the 1280 coverage.
He mentioned that WGLI had listeners in Bermuda during the day. I can't see how it could be avoided. WGLI ran 5000 watts daytime, but the bulk of it went southeast, so the ERP in that direction must've been considerable.
WGLI isn't on the air anymore, having been bought by NYC's WADO 1280 to free up the 1280 coverage.
He mentioned that WGLI had listeners in Bermuda during the day. I can't see how it could be avoided. WGLI ran 5000 watts daytime, but the bulk of it went southeast, so the ERP in that direction must've been considerable.
K
kg4cyb
Guest
I was down on Oak Island, NC today and and heard a bunch of Cuban stations and received 1300 WMEL out of Cocoa Beach, FL using the Ford Car radio. Good catch for a 5000 watt station. I love living hear on the NC coast.
kg4cyb said:
Can you get anything from the northeast during the day?
Back in January, I took a little trip over to the Gulf to see what I could get. Unfortunately, it was such a cold windy day, I couldn't stay outside too long right on the beach but at least I discovered a good signal from WWL. Also, I was able to hear something in the background of the Florida station on 740 that was news or talk but got no ID. Houston? And there was another frequency from Texas I looked for. Not sure now but I think it was the one on 1030 which, if I remember correctly, also had two competing stations like 740 but no IDs. That one from texas on 1030 should get out far.
http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=KCTA&service=AM&status=L&hours=D
http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=KCTA&service=AM&status=L&hours=D
R
rbrucecarter5
Guest
gar fla said:
KTRH is a curious phenomenon - their daytime pattern does not protect WYGM - Interestingly WYGM DOES protect KTRH! So somebody expects across the gulf propagation from Houston, although I suspect it has more to do with protecting WLCC. South of Houston, KTRH is a major signal, reported all over South America at night. But North - I had trouble hearing it in Dallas day or night.
KCTA is a monster. It is so strong in Houston - with a better format it would probably show in the Houston ratings. It is stronger in most of Houston that KLVI Beaumont. Many years ago, when KCTA was C-Quam stereo and played contemporary Christian music, I listened to them in perfect stereo all the way to Baton Rouge, LA. So - yes - I totally believe they could be heard daytime on the West coast of Florida with no problem at all.
It is possible you heard KTRH under the Orlando station, given that 740's signal is still quite strong even in your direction when it hits salt water.
Their nighttime pattern does seem to protect Orlando, though from the Radio Locator page it's tough to get a good idea how deep that null is.
That southbound signal is truly monstrous. My house is around 40 miles south of the tower and the nighttime bleed on 750 is huge, even with skywave interference. It actually bleeds all the way over to 760 on my clock radio even at night and 770 during the day.
I'll second Bruce on KCTA pounding into Houston. At my location, it's at equal strength with KLVI.
Their nighttime pattern does seem to protect Orlando, though from the Radio Locator page it's tough to get a good idea how deep that null is.
That southbound signal is truly monstrous. My house is around 40 miles south of the tower and the nighttime bleed on 750 is huge, even with skywave interference. It actually bleeds all the way over to 760 on my clock radio even at night and 770 during the day.
I'll second Bruce on KCTA pounding into Houston. At my location, it's at equal strength with KLVI.
rbrucecarter5 said:
KTRH was the most dependable AM signal from the US on my trips to southern Mexico in the 70s & 80s.
I HAVE gotten the 1030 Corpus 1 to 1/2 hrs after local sunrise at the beach in Englewood FL (really hard to ID)and have also gotten 560 Beaumont on I-75 near Ocala about 1 hr after local sunrise. It is possible-Texas to the Florida Gulf. Decent car radio for both catches. The X banders go crazy at the beach about an hour before sunset (at the beach) with many good catches from TX and the Ft. Smith AK area.
And yeah, got some 200 mi strong catches on the graveyard frequencies on St. Simons Is, GA.
And yeah, got some 200 mi strong catches on the graveyard frequencies on St. Simons Is, GA.
The thing is, when you're talking about reception of stations just after sunrise, wouldn't that be skywave versus groundwave over the Gulf? When the sun is low like that, you can still get some skywave.
Also, by referring to 'local' sunrise, would that be sunrise at your location or in Texas? Because one hour after sunrise in Florida is basically sunrise time along the Texas Gulf coast. Again, more indicative of skywave.
Also, by referring to 'local' sunrise, would that be sunrise at your location or in Texas? Because one hour after sunrise in Florida is basically sunrise time along the Texas Gulf coast. Again, more indicative of skywave.
I'll toss another possibility into the mix; a couple of years ago I was driving around South Padre Island and listening to KURV - 710 out of Edinburg during the middle of the day. Spanish language was audible underneath KURV; I'm not sure if I was pulling in a 710 signal from Mexico, CMW from Havana or possibly WAQI from Miami.
Back in 1995, I was able to listen to 620 out of St. Petersburg at 10 AM halfway between Beaumont and Houston until KILT pummeled them. That has been the only example I have of a Florida AM station making it to Texas during the day.
I would have to agree that KLVI, KTRH and KCTA are the best Texas bets to make it across the Gulf.
dlf
Back in 1995, I was able to listen to 620 out of St. Petersburg at 10 AM halfway between Beaumont and Houston until KILT pummeled them. That has been the only example I have of a Florida AM station making it to Texas during the day.
I would have to agree that KLVI, KTRH and KCTA are the best Texas bets to make it across the Gulf.
dlf
schmave said:
If you DX from Key West what you're most likely to hear is alot of strong Cuban stations.
Anybody here ever DX from there?
It has been 25 years since I have been in the Keys (Marathon), but the Cuban stations boomed into Marathon. Of course, Cuba was still receiving $$$ from the former Soviet Union back in those days. I remember pulling in Tampa stations (620, 970, 1110 and 1380) and several Miami AM's, but nothing from Texas or Louisiana (by day). If I remember correctly, there was an 870 in Havana.
dlf
dlf
dlf said:
I wonder if the Cuban FMs reach Key West?
I could not pull in any Cuban FM's from Marathon. I could pull in decent reception from the Miami area (I listened primarily to WSHE back then) and the Keys stations did well. The 40 miles between Marathon and Key West might have made a difference, but if I recall most of the Cuban FM's are very low powered.
dlf
dlf
dlf said:
I guess the Cuban government doesn't worry about FM penetration from Florida.
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