WBBM Nighttime Skywave

[cyberdad]

Road trip up north last week I was curious how WBBM would do now that it's at reduced power and diplexed with WSCR. Three stops ....

Fort Frances, ON (Tues 7/9). (Adjacent to International Falls, MN). WBBM second strongest of the four Chicago non-directional "clears". WLS strongest. WSCR weakest. WMVP also in with a good signal. Not as strong as WLS or WBBM, but considerably stronger than WSCR and WGN. Definitely a mild surprise. Thunderstorms in the area, but not a serious problem. WYLL also present. WCCO, KFAB and KMOX were also very strong here.

Winnipeg, MB. (Wed 7/10) Noise in my hotel room, but WBBM strong enough to break through.

Not that it had anything to do with signal strengths, but the hotel is about two blocks from CJOB studios. CJOB is clearly the best signal in town. CBW right up there with it...and CFRY also near city-grade. The following morning, I had CJOB groundwave all the way to my next stop. Which was....

Sioux Falls, SD (Thurs 7/11) WBBM and WSCR both good. WGN and WLS weaker. (Local KSOO on 1000). CJOB still present after sunset, but replaced on top by KFEQ.

 

[radioman148]

Road trip up north last week I was curious how WBBM would do now that it's at reduced power and diplexed with WSCR. Three stops ....

Fort Frances, ON (Tues 7/9). (Adjacent to International Falls, MN). WBBM second strongest of the four Chicago non-directional "clears". WLS strongest. WSCR weakest. WMVP also in with a good signal. Not as strong as WLS or WBBM, but considerably stronger than WSCR and WGN. Definitely a mild surprise. Thunderstorms in the area, but not a serious problem. WYLL also present. WCCO, KFAB and KMOX were also very strong here.

Winnipeg, MB. (Wed 7/10) Noise in my hotel room, but WBBM strong enough to break through.

Not that it had anything to do with signal strengths, but the hotel is about two blocks from CJOB studios. CJOB is clearly the best signal in town. CBW right up there with it...and CFRY also near city-grade. The following morning, I had CJOB groundwave all the way to my next stop. Which was....

Sioux Falls, SD (Thurs 7/11) WBBM and WSCR both good. WGN and WLS weaker. (Local KSOO on 1000). CJOB still present after sunset, but replaced on top by KFEQ.

Thanks for the report. Did you have the chance to hear how WBBM's groundwave is performing as you drove away from the Chicago area? I'm curious about their performance from the new tower.

 

[cyberdad]

Thanks for the report. Did you have the chance to hear how WBBM's groundwave is performing as you drove away from the Chicago area? I'm curious about their performance from the new tower.

I was flipping between WSCR and one of my Spotify playlists most of the time. I had WBBM on for a few minutes between Janesville and Madison. Signal didn't seem to be quite as "punchy" as WSCR, but still very listenable. That stretch of I-90/39 is under construction for a complete rebuild, so I couldn't pay very close attention.

 

[radioman148]

I was flipping between WSCR and one of my Spotify playlists most of the time. I had WBBM on for a few minutes between Janesville and Madison. Signal didn't seem to be quite as "punchy" as WSCR, but still very listenable. That stretch of I-90/39 is under construction for a complete rebuild, so I couldn't pay very close attention.

Next DX season it will be interesting to hear whether WBBM's skywave has suffered. I'll be checking out the receivers in Europe and Hawaii to see if there is a difference.

 

[cyberdad]

Next DX season it will be interesting to hear whether WBBM's skywave has suffered. I'll be checking out the receivers in Europe and Hawaii to see if there is a difference.

Good idea....and actually a reason to check out some of the North American SDRs yet this summer to see how WBBM might be doing.

Speaking of skywave, I had WSCR on my entire roughly 500-mile drive home from Sioux Falls to home this past Friday. I left Sioux falls at 5:00am, which was just before sunrise. The signal was solid for about three hours until about Rochester, MN when it started to fade. Then very weak for about two hours, but still present. Finally, after about two hours it started to get stronger again. I've had daytime skywave on 670 (WMAQ and WSCR) in Minnesota a few times before, but not July. I think I hit just the right combination of post-sunrise skywave transition to groundwave. I'd guess it's probably doubtful that skywave would be present all day long on 670 in July.

 

[radioman148]

Good idea....and actually a reason to check out some of the North American SDRs yet this summer to see how WBBM might be doing.

Speaking of skywave, I had WSCR on my entire roughly 500-mile drive home from Sioux Falls to home this past Friday. I left Sioux falls at 5:00am, which was just before sunrise. The signal was solid for about three hours until about Rochester, MN when it started to fade. Then very weak for about two hours, but still present. Finally, after about two hours it started to get stronger again. I've had daytime skywave on 670 (WMAQ and WSCR) in Minnesota a few times before, but not July. I think I hit just the right combination of post-sunrise skywave transition to groundwave. I'd guess it's probably doubtful that skywave would be present all day long on 670 in July.

As we discussed before I've heard 670 as WMAQ near the Twin Cities in late July via groundwave. Also, WGN which came in a bit better in that area.

 

[DXBob]

Here is the DX report on the 50 kW non-directional stations in Chicago from between 4:15-4:45am CDT this morning, listed from strongest signal to weakest signal:

WLS, WBBM, WSCR, WGN

WBBM was solid and listenable and only faded once. WLS is consistently the strongest Chicago signal here. WSCR was solid but I could also hear Cuba underneath them.

Bob

 

[radioman148]

Here is the DX report on the 50 kW non-directional stations in Chicago from between 4:15-4:45am CDT this morning, listed from strongest signal to weakest signal:

WLS, WBBM, WSCR, WGN

WBBM was solid and listenable and only faded once. WLS is consistently the strongest Chicago signal here. WSCR was solid but I could also hear Cuba underneath them.

Bob

WLS has always seemed to have a good skywave west--towards Kansas and Oklahoma and in the south. Of course Cuba can cause interference in the south.

 

[DXBob]

WLS has always seemed to have a good skywave west--towards Kansas and Oklahoma and in the south. Of course Cuba can cause interference in the south.

I have lived here since 2005 and WLS has consistently had the best skywave signal from the Chicago market. Ironically, there is a local daytimer here on 890 kHz, KMVG at 960 watts. They have a directional pattern that protects WLS. The frequencies for WBBM, WSCR and WGN are locally clear the day and night although there is a 10 kW day- 5 kW night local station adjacent to WGN on 710 kHz, KCMO.

During winter, both WBBM and WSCR are listenable most every day after 3:00pm...

Bob

 

[cyberdad]

During winter, both WBBM and WSCR are listenable most every day after 3:00pm...

Bob

Then there's the time I snagged WMVP (1000khz) on I-35 just southwest the KC metro area on a car radio. This was about ten years ago, about an hour after local sunrise. Obviously they were on day pattern.

Your local 710 was one of my go-to stations during my college days in southeast Iowa. Then it was Storz top-40 WHB before the call letter swap with KCMO. A truly great station, The 10KW directional day signal in southeast Iowa was "fair" at best. but worth putting up with a little splatter from WGN. At night with 5kw, protecting WOR, it disappeared.

 

[DXBob]

Then there's the time I snagged WMVP (1000khz) on I-35 just southwest the KC metro area on a car radio. This was about ten years ago, about an hour after local sunrise. Obviously they were on day pattern.

Your local 710 was one of my go-to stations during my college days in southeast Iowa. Then it was Storz top-40 WHB before the call letter swap with KCMO. A truly great station, The 10KW directional day signal in southeast Iowa was "fair" at best. but worth putting up with a little splatter from WGN. At night with 5kw, protecting WOR, it disappeared.

WMVP is a regular here during late critical hours. The signal is prone to heavy fading but listenable.

Great retro memory on WHB! I grew up in Peoria, IL. My grandfather lived on a farm about 25 miles SW of Macomb, IL. From his farm, the only Top 40 stations I could truly listen to during the day were WHB and KXOK. KXOK was the stronger signal. WLS was quite weak there. I also remember listening to WIBW in Topeka, KS from his farm location. They put out a tremendous daytime signal.

Bob