WBBM Chicago received in Port aux Basques, NL, Canada

[newfoundlandtime]

Until last year, getting 780 at night meant receiving the signal from Halifax (which moved to FM with new format). Now, earlier tonight, while in my car during an on/off snowstorm, I managed to receive WBBM 780 from Chicago. I heard "O'Hare" at least a few times so I stuck with it until I heard those famous calls. I wasn't so lucky with WSCR 670, WGN 720 (which I access by going to their site where they stream for Blackhawks games), or WLS 890, at least not yet.

As a side note, I did get WFAN 660 and WOR 710 from New York very easily. Also, I managed to pick up CKAC 730 Montreal (because it's the only 50,000-watt station in North America on that frequency whose primary language is French).

Time was 6:42 P.M. NST (4:12 P.M. CST/5:12 PM EST).

Oh, distance between Chicago and Port aux Basques: 2,325 kilometers (or 1,445 miles).

 

[radioman148]

Until last year, getting 780 at night meant receiving the signal from Halifax (which moved to FM with new format). Now, earlier tonight, while in my car during an on/off snowstorm, I managed to receive WBBM 780 from Chicago. I heard "O'Hare" at least a few times so I stuck with it until I heard those famous calls. I wasn't so lucky with WSCR 670, WGN 720 (which I access by going to their site where they stream for Blackhawks games), or WLS 890, at least not yet.

As a side note, I did get WFAN 660 and WOR 710 from New York very easily. Also, I managed to pick up CKAC 730 Montreal (because it's the only 50,000-watt station in North America on that frequency whose primary language is French).

Time was 6:42 P.M. NST (4:12 P.M. CST/5:12 PM EST).

Oh, distance between Chicago and Port aux Basques: 2,325 kilometers (or 1,445 miles).

Thanks for the report. Those of us in the Chicago area remain curious if you hear any of the other Chicago 50KWs. Ever try for WMVP-AM 1000? They send the most signal east of any Chicago AM.

 

[gar hi]

Like I've said too, WBBM is by far the strongest of the Chicago stations received here at night.

Newfoundlandtime, I don't know exactly where you are but I'm wondering if it's possible to pick up any of the Boston stations during the day up there.

 

[BRNout]

Like I've said too, WBBM is by far the strongest of the Chicago stations received here at night.

Newfoundlandtime, I don't know exactly where you are but I'm wondering if it's possible to pick up any of the Boston stations during the day up there.

Agreed with that, when it comes to eastward propagation; though WGN seems to do the best when it comes to propagating westward. I've gotten WGN in eastern Utah with a surprisingly good signal while WBBM was much weaker there. And WLS was nowhere to be found.

 

[radioman148]

Like I've said too, WBBM is by far the strongest of the Chicago stations received here at night.

Newfoundlandtime, I don't know exactly where you are but I'm wondering if it's possible to pick up any of the Boston stations during the day up there.

Agreed with that, when it comes to eastward propagation; though WGN seems to do the best when it comes to propagating westward. I've gotten WGN in eastern Utah with a surprisingly good signal while WBBM was much weaker there. And WLS was nowhere to be found.

And in the 60s, 70s, & 80s, WLS was easily the best skywave of all the Chicago stations. Picked it up like a local in the south, very well up & down the west coast and southern Mexico--especially in the 60s & early 70s. Also heard WLS in Hawaii in 1978. Things have definitely changed.

 

[newfoundlandtime]

It's easier to get a couple of Boston AM stations (such as WBZ 1030) at night; I've not tried the daytime as much, but one time in the latter part of a wet morning, either last month or this month, I managed to get WDEA 1370 from Maine.

 

[gar hi]

I drew a line between your town and Boston and there's only a small bit of land for the signal of WBZ to cross. The rest is all saltwater. They concentrate their signal right in your direction too.

http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WBZ&service=AM&status=L&hours=U

I remember hearing WBZ all day at the Jersey Shore and it was not a bad signal. Though it is closer, their signal isn't really aimed in that direction so considering the bulk of it goes your way, I wonder if you could get WBZ all day where you are on a fairly good radio if you try it right at the ocean.

From my experience here in Florida, I've found daytime DXing and saltwater is just as interesting as typical nighttime DXing.

 

[jd]

They concentrate their signal right in your direction too.

Things aren't always the way they appear, especially when it comes to the patterns shown on Radio-Locator. While the salt water path would definitely help with reception in Newfoundland the signal isn't "aimed" that way; it's just that the propagation is quite good to the northeast.

In reality the WBZ pattern has a radical null to the east (at exactly 90 degrees) and there is comparatively little power actually going to the northeast (and southeast as well). As shown on their pattern plot the signal is augmented somewhat, resulting in what amounts to an "imperfect cardioid" shape. The highest concentration of power (about 100kW effectively) is toward downtown Boston, at 295 degrees or roughly west-northwest of their site in Hull MA: www.fcc.gov/ftp/Bureaus/MB/Databases/AM_DA_patterns/10513-5756.pdf

 

[gar hi]

And according to the Radio Locator map, I always thought their signal was concentrated more to the northeast.

Now I see why it comes in so well at the Jersey Shore.

Interesting.

 

[BRNout]

And according to the Radio Locator map, I always thought their signal was concentrated more to the northeast.

Now I see why it comes in so well at the Jersey Shore.

Interesting.

Actually, WBZ is the only Boston AM signal that has such an arrangement. Several 50 kw signals from the Boston area point right at Newfoundland at night, including 680 and 1510.

 

[jd]

Not to be picky, but WRKO 680 has what amounts to more of a north/south orientation at night and WWZN 1510 is directed more east than northeast. The best example of a high-powered Boston area station that's "pointed" more or less toward Newfoundland might be 50kW WKOX 1200 Newton, since their greatest power level occurs at about 75 degrees off true north: http://www.fcc.gov/ftp/Bureaus/MB/Databases/AM_DA_patterns/1294215-106411.pdf

But you're quite correct in saying that WBZ is the only one that goes the other way, with the majority of their power directed away from the Atlantic. And it's worth noting that WBZ is one of only two of the former clear-channel AM stations that use a directional pattern; the other is WWL New Orleans.

 

[crainbebo]

Great job!!

I've gotten WBBM here in Bothell, WA about 3 times, being 1727 miles away from my location!!

-crainbebo

 

[cyberdad]

In 1995, when my daughter spent a semester at Laval Universite in Quebec City (which is east of most of the continental U.S.), I used to finish up customer appointments in Montreal, make the two and a half hour drive up autoroute 40 to Quebec City, and then join her for dinner. Back at the hotel it was time for a little DX....usually with WBBM pounding in like a local (and CFDR normally absent). WMVP also came in well IIRC despite slop from local CBV on 980.

 

[BRNout]

Not to be picky, but WRKO 680 has what amounts to more of a north/south orientation at night and WWZN 1510 is directed more east than northeast. The best example of a high-powered Boston area station that's "pointed" more or less toward Newfoundland might be 50kW WKOX 1200 Newton, since their greatest power level occurs at about 75 degrees off true north: http://www.fcc.gov/ftp/Bureaus/MB/Databases/AM_DA_patterns/1294215-106411.pdf

But you're quite correct in saying that WBZ is the only one that goes the other way, with the majority of their power directed away from the Atlantic. And it's worth noting that WBZ is one of only two of the former clear-channel AM stations that use a directional pattern; the other is WWL New Orleans.

Yes that's true, but it's been my experience that the northeastward component of WRKO's directional signal has less of a cutoff than indicated here. Hence, it still comes in really really well at night in eastern ME and NB (which is as far up as I've gotten). It's to the west where the cutoff is very pronounced; so much so that I question some of the reception reports of WRKO in states west and southwest of New England here on this board.

As for WWZN, it's a semi-regular catch by dxers in Iceland, Ireland and Scotland and should come in quite well at night in Newfoundland. In fact, WWZN's 1510 is the first frequency they monitor to identify whether there's an opening to North America. The skywave basically has to pass right over Newfoundland to get over there.

Good note on how WBZ and WWL have similar 'voluntarily' directional signals. For this reason, each has better coverage than one would expect from a 50 kw ND signal coming from either city.

 

[jd]

Good observations, BRNout. WRKO's signal is still pretty potent despite the configuration that's shown, and I can also see where WWZN would be the first to check for TA reception into Europe. With with the higher frequency that's involved the skywave has to be quite a factor.

 

[schmave]

They concentrate their signal right in your direction too.

Things aren't always the way they appear, especially when it comes to the patterns shown on Radio-Locator. While the salt water path would definitely help with reception in Newfoundland the signal isn't "aimed" that way; it's just that the propagation is quite good to the northeast.

In reality the WBZ pattern has a radical null to the east (at exactly 90 degrees) and there is comparatively little power actually going to the northeast (and southeast as well). As shown on their pattern plot the signal is augmented somewhat, resulting in what amounts to an "imperfect cardioid" shape. The highest concentration of power (about 100kW effectively) is toward downtown Boston, at 295 degrees or roughly west-northwest of their site in Hull MA: www.fcc.gov/ftp/Bureaus/MB/Databases/AM_DA_patterns/10513-5756.pdf

Is it really that radical a null? Having never been to that part of the country, I am wondering. I have read the only place the null can be noticed, at least on land, is Cape Cod.

 

[jd]

Is it really that radical a null?

Yes, it is. The "theoretical" pattern data shows a value of zero due east. Even with some augmentation on the back side you're still talking about signal strength in the hundreds, not thousands of watts in that direction. It really doesn't increase that dramatically until you pass the southeast (or northeast) portion of the lobe. So despite salt-water enhancement the signal to the southeast, over much of Cape Cod, is quite weak when compared to Greater Boston.

 

[BRNout]

Is it really that radical a null?

Yes, it is. The "theoretical" pattern data shows a value of zero due east. Even with some augmentation on the back side you're still talking about signal strength in the hundreds, not thousands of watts in that direction. It really doesn't increase that dramatically until you pass the southeast (or northeast) portion of the lobe. So despite salt-water enhancement the signal to the southeast, over much of Cape Cod, is quite weak when compared to Greater Boston.

Because WBZ's transmitter is on the outer tip of the Hull peninsula, it's a fairly short and straight shot over salt water from there to the outer Cape. Therefore, reception of WBZ doesn't degrade noticeably if you're in P-town or Truro. Anywhere farther down on the Cape, you start to get out of the null and get a solid signal across the bay with decent ground conductivity helping too. Yet you get a muscular signal with the equivalent of more like 80 kw of power spread over the rest of New England.

Basically, it's brilliant engineering because the null is barely noticeable to anyone in the listening area and the increased range is over the areas of greatest population density.

 

[radioman148]

Is it really that radical a null?

Yes, it is. The "theoretical" pattern data shows a value of zero due east. Even with some augmentation on the back side you're still talking about signal strength in the hundreds, not thousands of watts in that direction. It really doesn't increase that dramatically until you pass the southeast (or northeast) portion of the lobe. So despite salt-water enhancement the signal to the southeast, over much of Cape Cod, is quite weak when compared to Greater Boston.

Because WBZ's transmitter is on the outer tip of the Hull peninsula, it's a fairly short and straight shot over salt water from there to the outer Cape. Therefore, reception of WBZ doesn't degrade noticeably if you're in P-town or Truro. Anywhere farther down on the Cape, you start to get out of the null and get a solid signal across the bay with decent ground conductivity helping too. Yet you get a muscular signal with the equivalent of more like 80 kw of power spread over the rest of New England.

Basically, it's brilliant engineering because the null is barely noticeable to anyone in the listening area and the increased range is over the areas of greatest population density.

The null doesn't stop their reception in Europe as many people have reported hearing WBZ, especially in the UK.

 

[fybush]

The null doesn't stop their reception in Europe as many people have reported hearing WBZ, especially in the UK.

Europe's not in the null. Signals take a great-circle path, which curves considerably to the north on the way from Hull to Europe. I don't think there are many AM DXers in north Africa, but I suspect WBZ's null would be much more of an issue there than it is for the DXers in Scandinavia or the British Isles.