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WBAP Signal Distance

T

treyi

I am trying to figure out what is going on with WBAP’s coverage.

I can regularly receive 590 KLBJ from Austin during the day fairly clear in Fort Worth at 5,000 watts. I would think (and seem to remember) 50,000 watt WBAP would reach Austin without issue. The past two times I have been there you could barely receive a hint of WBAP in Austin. I have had the same issue in San Antonio at night. Which is very odd since I have received WBAP in Las Vegas and Atlanta at night before, so I can’t figure this out. Is something going on with their transmitter?
 
For the record, WBAP should have one of the best AM signals in the U.S. 50,000 watts, non-directional, low on the dial, Class A, originally Class I-A.

How is your reception for KRLD? That's also 50,000 watts, Class A. But it was originally a Class I-B because it shares 1080 with WTIC Hartford. So at night, it must use a directional antenna. By day, it should be similar to WBAP, although being higher on the dial, it loses some of the distance WBAP has at 820.

Since KRLD is nulled away from the Northeast, its signal in Austin and San Antonio should be similar to WBAP's at night. I'd like to know how they compare.
 
I live in Canyon Lake, Texas roughly 45 air miles SW of Austin. WBAP receives a lot of interference from an 810 in the San Antonio area. At night, this area and probably Austin as well are in a “cancellation zone”; this is where the ground wave (daytime) and sky wave (night signal) in essence duke it out. You will have fading and not the signal you would expect from 820 from a much closer distance than Hawaii, Las Vegas, or Atlanta.

KRLD barely makes it by day to Canyon Lake, but booms in with one of the most consistent night signals. I’m guessing 1080 in Canyon Lake is all skywave at night.

Others can provide a more technical explanation, but I hope this helps.
 
I am with the others who think is a cancellation issue. Texas' great ground conductivity gives WBAP that massive groundwave coverage by day on a pretty optimum frequency, and my guess is that as a "consequence" its cancellation zone is likely farther out than you might find for other 50Ks in other parts of the country. Austin, being roughly 175 miles south of WBAP's transmitter, is prime territory to fall into that cancellation zone.
The few times I have been to Austin, I never thought to check WBAP. That the reception would still stink in San Antonio does surprise me.
I've heard KRLD's skywave sound excellent in San Marcos, and I can tell you first-hand both WBAP and KRLD are very solid in Houston at night (whereas, in my experience, WOAI was not). WBAP is listenable there daytime, but that groundwave at that distance isn't nearly strong enough to cause cancellation issues.
 
Cancellation would seem to be the issue as others have said. I noticed this in northeast Texas heading to Shreveport one night last summer.
 
One other observation: the seek/scan will stop on WBAP 820 (by day) until Round Rock. Once you enter Round Rock and beyond, two things occur:

1) The urbanization that is Austin
2) You are either in or on the edge of the Texas Hill Country where the ground conductivity is not nearly as good as in Central, North Central Texas, etc: so that coupled with the distance degrades the signal pretty fast. WBAP is still listenable in Buda and Kyle, but not nearly as strong as just north of Austin.
 
Interesting. WBAP regularly puts a strong nighttime signal into NW San Antonio. During the day I can hear it weakly on my sensitive radios; just have to offtune a bit to reduce the splatter from semi-local 810 KYTY.
 
On my Grundig Yachboy, here, north of Austin, north of Georgetown, WBAP is okay during the day and just okay at night. It doesn't boom into this area. KRLD is almost absent both. 1080 is very weak.
 
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