What AM/FM/TV do you hear midday beyond 60 miles at your location?

[radioman148]

HELLO!

About a year ago I added a Sangean PR-D5 to my radio roster for use as a better-than-pedestrian bedside clock radio, and did I get a pleasant surprise. This multi form factor stereo radio with a better-than-average FM tuner sports some near-stunning AM reception ability also! I haven't had it out of the house [and the Cincinnati urban area] until today though. A family get-together at east-central Indiana's Brookville Lake gave me an opportunity to put the Sangean thru its paces. The location was about 40-miles northwest of Cincinnati, a few miles northeast of Brookville, IN on the east shore of the lake. This locale has no commercial development or residential population and the noise that usually goes with it.

As a reference for comparison, I toted my trusty 30-year-old Panasonic RF-2200 along. The still-pristine 2200 has managed over its many years to slightly edge-out every portable radio I have purchased that followed it with claims of AM reception supremacy—including my GE SR-1 and C Crane CC Radio Plus. I'm pleased to report that the "barefoot" Sangean [at just $60 and some change] gave the venerable old Panasonic a run for its money in shear reception ability. Both radios logged the same stations at near-identical quality. The PR-D5's noteworthy reception comes at the cost of audio frequency response caused by its VERY NARROW I.F. bandwidth. While demod is very clean [and fine for voice formats], it appears to "brick wall" all transmitted audio beyond just 2-2.5KHz – putting it behind the other three radios in AM sound quality [especially the single-bandwidth SR-1, dual bandwidth RF-2200, and a 2KHz detuned CCR+].

Here's the "beyond 60-miles" reception log from 2-3PM today:
[unless noted, signal quality was moderate to good]

560 – WIND – Chicago, IL [weak; some splatter from nearby WKRC Cincinnati]
570 – WKBN – Youngstown, OH [very weak; just above the noise floor]
580 – WILL – Urbana, IL [weak]
590 – WVLK – Lexington, KY [very weak; dueling with WKZO Battle Creek, MI]
610 – WTVN – Columbus, OH [strong]
630 – WLAP – Lexington, KY
640 – WHLO – Akron. OH [very weak]
650 – WSM – Nashville, TN [very weak; at the noise floor and difficult to copy]
660 – WXIC – Waverly, OH
670 – WSCR – Chicago, IL [weak]
720 – WGN – Chicago, IL [weak; very little splatter and NO IBOC hash from WLW]
730 – WJYM – Bowling Green, OH
760 – WJR – Detroit, MI
770 – WCGW – Nicholasville, KY [weak; with WBBM's IBOC in the background]
780 – WBBM – Chicago, IL [weak; best Chi-Town signal here]
790 – WKRD – Louisville, KY [weak; with WBBM-induced I-BAD]
800 – CKLW – "The Motor City" [as they used to sing]
810 – WSYW – Indianapolis, IN [weak]
820 – WOSU – Columbus, OH
840 – WHAS – Louisville, KY
850 – WNKR – Cleveland, OH [very weak; at the noise floor and difficult to copy]
860 – WMRI – Marion, IN
880 – WRFD – Columbus, OH [strong]
890 – WLS – Chicago, IL [weak]
900 – WFIA – Louisville, KY [very weak; splatter from WPFB Middletown, OH]
920 – WBAA – West Lafayette, IN [weak; splatter from WHON Centerville, IN]
950 – WXLW – Indianapolis, IN
960 – WSBT – South Bend, IN [weak]
970 – WGTK – Louisville, KY [weak; splatter and IBOC hash from WONE Dayton]
1000 – WMVP – Chicago, IL [very weak]
1010 – WCSI – Columbus, IN [weak]
1070 – WFNI – Indianapolis, IN [strong]
1150 – WIMA – Lima, OH [weak; slight splatter from WQRT Florence, KY]
1190 – WOWO – Fort Wayne, IN
1220 – WSLM – Salem, IN [weak; you have to hear this station to believe it!!!]
1240 – WHBU – Anderson, IN [excellent signal for a 1kw "Class 4"!]
1260 – WNDE – Indianapolis, IN
1300 – WXLC – Lexington, KY [excellent signal for a 5kw "regional" in the 13s!]
1310 – WTLC – Indianapolis, IN [weak]
1340 – WIZE – Springfield, OH [weak; I was able to null-out closer WXFN Muncie, IN]
1370 – WGCL – Bloomington, IN [weak; splatter and IBOC hash from WSAI Cincinnati]
1380 – WKJG – Fort Wayne, IN [weak; the former Top-40 WMEE still makes it downstate!]
1390 – WZZB – Seymour, IN [weak here; good 1kw signal, music format IN STEREO!]
1400 – WBAT – Marion, IN [weak here; but a "Bat outta Hell" in the 1kw graveyard!]
1430 – WXNT – Indianapolis, IN [weak]
1460 – WJCP – North Vernon, IN [weak here; good 1kw signal, Oldies with GREAT AUDIO!]
1590 – WNTS Indianapolis and WSRW Hillsboro, OH dueling with plenty of "Hot 'n Heavy Sidebands" from nearby SuperOldies 1580 WIFE Connersville, IN
1660 – WQLR – Kalamazoo, MI [good to a total fade-out; obviously early skip]
1690 – WVON – Chicago, IL [same as above; the X-Band's up early today!]

That's a pretty good haul for WKBN.

 

[gar hi]

HELLO!

About a year ago I added a Sangean PR-D5 to my radio roster for use as a better-than-pedestrian bedside clock radio, and did I get a pleasant surprise. This multi form factor stereo radio with a better-than-average FM tuner sports some near-stunning AM reception ability also! I haven't had it out of the house [and the Cincinnati urban area] until today though. A family get-together at east-central Indiana's Brookville Lake gave me an opportunity to put the Sangean thru its paces. The location was about 40-miles northwest of Cincinnati, a few miles northeast of Brookville, IN on the east shore of the lake. This locale has no commercial development or residential population and the noise that usually goes with it.

As a reference for comparison, I toted my trusty 30-year-old Panasonic RF-2200 along. The still-pristine 2200 has managed over its many years to slightly edge-out every portable radio I have purchased that followed it with claims of AM reception supremacy—including my GE SR-1 and C Crane CC Radio Plus. I'm pleased to report that the "barefoot" Sangean [at just $60 and some change] gave the venerable old Panasonic a run for its money in shear reception ability. Both radios logged the same stations at near-identical quality. The PR-D5's noteworthy reception comes at the cost of audio frequency response caused by its VERY NARROW I.F. bandwidth. While demod is very clean [and fine for voice formats], it appears to "brick wall" all transmitted audio beyond just 2-2.5KHz – putting it behind the other three radios in AM sound quality [especially the single-bandwidth SR-1, dual bandwidth RF-2200, and a 2KHz detuned CCR+].

Here's the "beyond 60-miles" reception log from 2-3PM today:
[unless noted, signal quality was moderate to good]

560 – WIND – Chicago, IL [weak; some splatter from nearby WKRC Cincinnati]
570 – WKBN – Youngstown, OH [very weak; just above the noise floor]
580 – WILL – Urbana, IL [weak]
590 – WVLK – Lexington, KY [very weak; dueling with WKZO Battle Creek, MI]
610 – WTVN – Columbus, OH [strong]
630 – WLAP – Lexington, KY
640 – WHLO – Akron. OH [very weak]
650 – WSM – Nashville, TN [very weak; at the noise floor and difficult to copy]
660 – WXIC – Waverly, OH
670 – WSCR – Chicago, IL [weak]
720 – WGN – Chicago, IL [weak; very little splatter and NO IBOC hash from WLW]
730 – WJYM – Bowling Green, OH
760 – WJR – Detroit, MI
770 – WCGW – Nicholasville, KY [weak; with WBBM's IBOC in the background]
780 – WBBM – Chicago, IL [weak; best Chi-Town signal here]
790 – WKRD – Louisville, KY [weak; with WBBM-induced I-BAD]
800 – CKLW – "The Motor City" [as they used to sing]
810 – WSYW – Indianapolis, IN [weak]
820 – WOSU – Columbus, OH
840 – WHAS – Louisville, KY
850 – WNKR – Cleveland, OH [very weak; at the noise floor and difficult to copy]
860 – WMRI – Marion, IN
880 – WRFD – Columbus, OH [strong]
890 – WLS – Chicago, IL [weak]
900 – WFIA – Louisville, KY [very weak; splatter from WPFB Middletown, OH]
920 – WBAA – West Lafayette, IN [weak; splatter from WHON Centerville, IN]
950 – WXLW – Indianapolis, IN
960 – WSBT – South Bend, IN [weak]
970 – WGTK – Louisville, KY [weak; splatter and IBOC hash from WONE Dayton]
1000 – WMVP – Chicago, IL [very weak]
1010 – WCSI – Columbus, IN [weak]
1070 – WFNI – Indianapolis, IN [strong]
1150 – WIMA – Lima, OH [weak; slight splatter from WQRT Florence, KY]
1190 – WOWO – Fort Wayne, IN
1220 – WSLM – Salem, IN [weak; you have to hear this station to believe it!!!]
1240 – WHBU – Anderson, IN [excellent signal for a 1kw "Class 4"!]
1260 – WNDE – Indianapolis, IN
1300 – WXLC – Lexington, KY [excellent signal for a 5kw "regional" in the 13s!]
1310 – WTLC – Indianapolis, IN [weak]
1340 – WIZE – Springfield, OH [weak; I was able to null-out closer WXFN Muncie, IN]
1370 – WGCL – Bloomington, IN [weak; splatter and IBOC hash from WSAI Cincinnati]
1380 – WKJG – Fort Wayne, IN [weak; the former Top-40 WMEE still makes it downstate!]
1390 – WZZB – Seymour, IN [weak here; good 1kw signal, music format IN STEREO!]
1400 – WBAT – Marion, IN [weak here; but a "Bat outta Hell" in the 1kw graveyard!]
1430 – WXNT – Indianapolis, IN [weak]
1460 – WJCP – North Vernon, IN [weak here; good 1kw signal, Oldies with GREAT AUDIO!]
1590 – WNTS Indianapolis and WSRW Hillsboro, OH dueling with plenty of "Hot 'n Heavy Sidebands" from nearby SuperOldies 1580 WIFE Connersville, IN
1660 – WQLR – Kalamazoo, MI [good to a total fade-out; obviously early skip]
1690 – WVON – Chicago, IL [same as above; the X-Band's up early today!]

I always like to hear when others are happy with the Sangean PR-D5's great AM reception!

It's been about two years since I first got mine and I've been impressed with it ever since and I've logged some daytime AM catches I never thought possible, especially with the addition of the Terk Loop antenna.

 

[hipporadio]

Here's the "beyond 60-miles" reception log from 2-3PM today:
[unless noted, signal quality was moderate to good]

560 – WIND – Chicago, IL [weak; some splatter from nearby WKRC Cincinnati]
570 – WKBN – Youngstown, OH [very weak; just above the noise floor]
580 – WILL – Urbana, IL [weak]
590 – WVLK – Lexington, KY [very weak; dueling with WKZO Battle Creek, MI]
610 – WTVN – Columbus, OH [strong]
630 – WLAP – Lexington, KY
640 – WHLO – Akron. OH [very weak]
650 – WSM – Nashville, TN [very weak; at the noise floor and difficult to copy]
660 – WXIC – Waverly, OH
670 – WSCR – Chicago, IL [weak]
720 – WGN – Chicago, IL [weak; very little splatter and NO IBOC hash from WLW]
730 – WJYM – Bowling Green, OH
760 – WJR – Detroit, MI
770 – WCGW – Nicholasville, KY [weak; with WBBM's IBOC in the background]
780 – WBBM – Chicago, IL [weak; best Chi-Town signal here]
790 – WKRD – Louisville, KY [weak; with WBBM-induced I-BAD]
800 – CKLW – "The Motor City" [as they used to sing]
810 – WSYW – Indianapolis, IN [weak]
820 – WOSU – Columbus, OH
840 – WHAS – Louisville, KY
850 – WNKR – Cleveland, OH [very weak; at the noise floor and difficult to copy]
860 – WMRI – Marion, IN
880 – WRFD – Columbus, OH [strong]
890 – WLS – Chicago, IL [weak]
900 – WFIA – Louisville, KY [very weak; splatter from WPFB Middletown, OH]
920 – WBAA – West Lafayette, IN [weak; splatter from WHON Centerville, IN]
950 – WXLW – Indianapolis, IN
960 – WSBT – South Bend, IN [weak]
970 – WGTK – Louisville, KY [weak; splatter and IBOC hash from WONE Dayton]
1000 – WMVP – Chicago, IL [very weak]
1010 – WCSI – Columbus, IN [weak]
1070 – WFNI – Indianapolis, IN [strong]
1150 – WIMA – Lima, OH [weak; slight splatter from WQRT Florence, KY]
1190 – WOWO – Fort Wayne, IN
1220 – WSLM – Salem, IN [weak; you have to hear this station to believe it!!!]
1240 – WHBU – Anderson, IN [excellent signal for a 1kw "Class 4"!]
1260 – WNDE – Indianapolis, IN
1300 – WXLC – Lexington, KY [excellent signal for a 5kw "regional" in the 13s!]
1310 – WTLC – Indianapolis, IN [weak]
1340 – WIZE – Springfield, OH [weak; I was able to null-out closer WXFN Muncie, IN]
1370 – WGCL – Bloomington, IN [weak; splatter and IBOC hash from WSAI Cincinnati]
1380 – WKJG – Fort Wayne, IN [weak; the former Top-40 WMEE still makes it downstate!]
1390 – WZZB – Seymour, IN [weak here; good 1kw signal, music format IN STEREO!]
1400 – WBAT – Marion, IN [weak here; but a "Bat outta Hell" in the 1kw graveyard!]
1430 – WXNT – Indianapolis, IN [weak]
1460 – WJCP – North Vernon, IN [weak here; good 1kw signal, Oldies with GREAT AUDIO!]
1590 – WNTS Indianapolis and WSRW Hillsboro, OH dueling with plenty of "Hot 'n Heavy Sidebands" from nearby SuperOldies 1580 WIFE Connersville, IN
1660 – WQLR – Kalamazoo, MI [good to a total fade-out; obviously early skip]
1690 – WVON – Chicago, IL [same as above; the X-Band's up early today!]

That's a pretty good haul for WKBN.

WKBN, WSM, and WKNR were barely audible and difficult to copy as they were at or just a hair above the noise floor. I have never received them mid afternoon during the summer before! WKBN is a NO-CAN-DO in the northern Kentucky suburbs of Cincinnati due to WKRC's close proximity in Cold Spring, KY; but those three routinely make a daytime appearance during the winter months at my boyhood home 50-miles to the northwest in Connersville, IN. Then, I could hear them much easier on the Panasonic RF-2000 and my desktop Icom R71 fed by a McKay Dymek DA-5 active antenna. Since I was able to also hear WQLR and WVON subject to fading [NO CHANCE I was hearing a groundwave signal from those two], I suspect some odd and minimal skip may have been the transport-of-choice for the other three.

 

[gar hi]

I don't think the other three, WKBN, WSM, or WNKR were any skywave at all.

Consider that the ground conductivity for much of the path of those signals is an 8, whereas it's only a 4 in much of the northeast where similar signals can travel the same distance on a groundwave.

I think the credit may go to the PR-D5 and it's 200 mm ferrite antenna.

 

[radioman148]

I'd be curious to find out if you can get WKBN again around 1PM if you get the chance.
I don't think that was skywave either.

 

[Steve_Green]

We live in a town that's sort of soupbowl in shape. Imagine a decorative ring around the top of the inside, and that ring is where our street runs. We're not quite on the lip of the bowl. That's another 35 or so feet higher. We'd be situated at 11 o'clock on that rim v the town.

The town itself -- the business section -- occupies the bottom of the bowl. If you drive south from this house, through town, the next hill to the south -- the bottom arc of the bowl's rim -- houses a mall and Interstate 81. That arc goes from about 4 o'clock to 8 o'clock. Even though we're up pretty high here already, 150 feet above the town itself, there are hills in all directions which are higher.

FM regulars here -- no external antenna -- include WLAN-FM 96.9 Lancaster (60 miles), WGTY 107.7 Gettysburg (85 miles) and WQXA 105.7 York (70 miles). That last is notable because it stomps neighboring WMGH 105.5 Tamaqua -- 15 miles from here.

* * * * * * * * *

 

[Smittian]

I don't know how good your receiver is but I wonder what you can hear on 620, 970, 1250, and 1380
during the day.

They are WDAE 620, WFLA 970, WHNZ 1250, and WWMI 1380, all from Tampa/St. Pete.

From the beach in Dunedin, Florida during the day, I've heard KTRH with an ID, what I'm virtually certain is KCTA (non stop preaching), and co-frequency flutter on 1700 which maybe possibly? could have been a trace of KVNS interacting with the much closer and barely audible WJCC from south Florida.

I drove over to the beach yesterday and tried with my car radio, but came up dry. 620 and 970 were impossible because of nearby Rio Bravo and Matamoros MX stations on that freq. 1250 was a Christian station from Beaumont/Port Arthur, but something was coming in underneath it. 1380 had nothing because of interference from 1390 in Reynosa, MX. I'll try again when I get a GOOD radio/antenna

 

[hipporadio]

I'd be curious to find out if you can get WKBN again around 1PM if you get the chance.
I don't think that was skywave either.

I was able to check reception again the following day [Sunday 8/21] during the 1PM hour – this time from my parents' home about 20-miles to the northwest of Saturday's Brookville Lake location on the far west side of Connersville, IN. I hiked to the "back 40" of the property [to escape their dreaded motion detector-equipped home security system] where there's a nice noise-free AM-friendly zone next to a small creek. I also added a "stock" CC Radio Plus I gifted to my parents to the mix, so I could compare it to the less-costly Sangean PR-D5.

On the PR-D5 and Panasonic RF-2200, the most obvious change from the prior day and location was an increase in signal strength and quality on all the signals from Chicago, Louisville, and Indianapolis [except 1590, obviously]. 670, 720, 780, and 890 from Chicago provided a very satisfying quality level that went beyond what "only a DXer could love". 790 and 900 from Louisville improved substantially, and I was able to hear Sports-formatted 680 WHBE Newburg/Louisville, KY.

To radioman148's inquiry regarding 570 WKBN: YES, it was present [again], as was 650 WSM, but they were the two weakest stations of all received and were difficult to copy. 850 WKNR from Cleveland showed noticeable improvement and was easier to copy. I checked 1660 and 1690 [received the previous day, obviously as skywave] and there was no trace of either during the hour I was listening, so any possibility that reception of 570 WKBN the previous day was from errant skip is now out of the question.

Now here's an interesting surprise... I tuned down to 540 expecting the customary weak but consistent signal from the former WYLO [now WAUK] Jackson/Milwaukee, WI. Instead of hearing ESPN Sports, I was greeted with a talk program IN FRENCH with no hint of WAUK in the background [???] After many years of visiting 540-Jackson, WI from east-central Indiana, this was a FIRST! It was CBEF Windsor, ON—sending 2.5kw into a highly-directional narrow northeast pattern up the "leg" of lower Ontario. Their published pattern plot shows nearly-no radiation to the southwest toward my location, but they were considerably stronger than many of the "weak" stations I received. It gets better still... CBEK doubles its power to 5kw into the SAME DA at night, but fell victim to an after-dark appearance of... WAUK!!! ODD, and oppesed to the former WYLO's heritage as a consistent long-distance then-250-watt station with a HUGE DAYTIME footprint that signed-off at sunset!

Finally, regarding the $63 Sangean PR-D5 versus the $160 Sangean-manufactured C Crane CCRadio+... Based on my Sunday afternoon experience with the two in a side-by-side reception comparison: The new CCRadio-2 notwithstanding [as I have yet to handle one]; the PR-D5 appears to be a SUPERIOR AM and FM performer, has better sound quality for FM music stations, and would save one nearly $100 had they spent that money on a CCRadio+. Furthermore, the PR-D5 DOES NOT suffer the well-documented and downright nasty AM overload from strong local stations that plagues the CCRadio+ [and allegedly its successor also]. I was less than 2-miles from 250-watt 1580 WIFE; and that signal messed-up, in varied degrees of severity, the top end of the AM band from 1520-1640 [including 50kw 1530 WCKY Cincinnati] on a "stock" CCRadio+ that is less than two years old! Meanwhile, the PR-D5 was able to effectively null-out splatter from WIFE on weak signals on 1550, 1560, and 1600 that were totally trashed on the CCRadio+. The ONLY pitfall one can associate with the PR-D5 is merely subjective and dependent on your access to and interest in any AM station that [still] programs music. It is an unabashed AM "notch-master" and is unfulfilling when tuned to even an exceptionally-transmitted AM station with a music format – Oldies 1580 WIFE Connersville, IN is one somewhat rare example of that. It sounds AWESOME, but NOT ON A SANGEAN PR-D5!

 

[radioman148]

Thanks for the report hipporadio. Appreciate all the details. BTW: did you hear WIND at this new location?

 

[hipporadio]

Thanks for the report hipporadio. Appreciate all the details. BTW: did you hear WIND at this new location?

Sorry I forgot to specifically mention WIND... Reception of them improved over that of the Saturday location about 20-miles closer to Cincinnati. In the southeast quarter of Indiana, WIND benefits from being within 550 WKRC's biggest null to protect WIND and 550 KTRS [formerly KSD St Louis]. They weren't as strong as 670, 720, 780, and 890; but better than 1000.

 

[radioman148]

Thanks for the report hipporadio. Appreciate all the details. BTW: did you hear WIND at this new location?

Sorry I forgot to specifically mention WIND... Reception of them improved over that of the Saturday location about 20-miles closer to Cincinnati. In the southeast quarter of Indiana, WIND benefits from being within 550 WKRC's biggest null to protect WIND and 550 KTRS [formerly KSD St Louis]. They weren't as strong as 670, 720, 780, and 890; but better than 1000.

Thanks again.

 

[cyberdad]

It was CBEF Windsor, ON—sending 2.5kw into a highly-directional narrow northeast pattern up the "leg" of lower Ontario. Their published pattern plot shows nearly-no radiation to the southwest toward my location, but they were considerably stronger than many of the "weak" stations I received.

Normally, CBEF sends a fine signal up the 401 Freeway just about all the way to Toronto before it finally gets wiped out by CIAO (530) and WGR (550). Presumably there would've been a malfunction or some sort of maintenance going on for them to show up at your location.

 

[boiseengineer]

Past experiance is the CRTC doesn't seem to be as rigid as the FCC about keeping your directional antenna operating as licensed. Back in the 80s CJCA 930 was slamming KSEI at night. Called their engineer and he admitted that their was a problem. Said he might make it out to the transmitter in the next week or so and check on it. 1190 CJMR isn't supposed to have any substantial signal into Boise but they've been the strongest on 1190 for over a year.

 

[radioman148]

Past experiance is the CRTC doesn't seem to be as rigid as the FCC about keeping your directional antenna operating as licensed. Back in the 80s CJCA 930 was slamming KSEI at night. Called their engineer and he admitted that their was a problem. Said he might make it out to the transmitter in the next week or so and check on it. 1190 CJMR isn't supposed to have any substantial signal into Boise but they've been the strongest on 1190 for over a year.

Doesn't seem as though the FCC is that rigid anymore considering the number of stations that run daytime power at night.

 

[hipporadio]

Past experiance is the CRTC doesn't seem to be as rigid as the FCC about keeping your directional antenna operating as licensed. Back in the 80s CJCA 930 was slamming KSEI at night. Called their engineer and he admitted that their was a problem. Said he might make it out to the transmitter in the next week or so and check on it. 1190 CJMR isn't supposed to have any substantial signal into Boise but they've been the strongest on 1190 for over a year.

Doesn't seem as though the FCC is that rigid anymore considering the number of stations that run daytime power at night.

OH SO TRUE, radioman148 – especially at this time of the year! Last Friday, I didn't have to look at the sports section to know that high school was back in session, and the guys were huddling on the football field. I was sitting on a friend's boat in Kent's Harbor on Brookville Lake in east-central Indiana awaiting the 9:00PM start of Joe Morgan's syndicated sports show on nearby 1450 WMOH, and powered-up my Panasonic RF-2200 which was last tuned to Cincinnati's Oldies-formatted 1480 WDJO. In the place of Jefferson Airplane, I was treated to the Jefferson County High School Patriots vs. the Heritage Mountaineers football game via the *alleged* 34-watts of WJFC Jefferson City, TN. The signal had that distinct odor of being WELL-ABOVE flea power from the Knoxville area.

A quick bandscan revealed an over-200KHz-wide smorgasbord of southern-fried pigskin coverage from 1250-1480KHz. Nearly every "regional" channel bore the sound of some rookie PxP guy with a distinct accent calling a football game over a visiting guest signal I was unfamiliar with! Shaking my head, I went to 1450 to *try* to enjoy my show. As if the "bog" on that "graveyard" frequency wasn't bothersome-enough, it was getting assailed from next door by powerful splatter. The culprit was "Rebel Radio" with Franklin County Rebels football from nearly fade-free 1440 WZYX Cowan/Winchester, TN – 5kw-day – 66-watts at the time of my intercept... NO WAY, Jose – NOT with nightlight power from near Chattanooga!

Determined to listen to my sports show of choice, and having had a station that suffered in the past from WSLM Salem, IN—who didn't understand that a PSA meant 500-watts – NOT 5000, I remembered an old prank often employed by an engineer friend—who when frustrated, had a hilarious and effective method of quickly dealing with this sort of mediumwave misdemeanor. I got the phone number of WZYX and placed a cell call knowing the station would actually be attended at that hour by a gullible minimum wage part-time board op. BINGO... The yute that answered and likely soiled the control room chair after listening to my fictitious rant that I was the owner of "FRAT 1450" in West Lafayette, IN and WZYX was ruining reception of my station at a pre-Purdue football party I was hosting for over 100 alums—including a few FCC engineers. Before I could turn the Panasonic back up, Rebel Radio had retreated

 

[cyberdad]

Past experiance is the CRTC doesn't seem to be as rigid as the FCC about keeping your directional antenna operating as licensed. Back in the 80s CJCA 930 was slamming KSEI at night. Called their engineer and he admitted that their was a problem. Said he might make it out to the transmitter in the next week or so and check on it.  1190 CJMR isn't supposed to have any substantial signal into Boise but they've been the strongest on 1190 for over a year.

Doesn't seem as though the FCC is that rigid anymore considering the number of stations that run daytime power at night.

powered-up my Panasonic RF-2200 which was last tuned to Cincinnati's Oldies-formatted 1480 WDJO. In the place of Jefferson Airplane, I was treated to the Jefferson County High School Patriots vs. the Heritage Mountaineers football game via the *alleged* 34-watts of WJFC Jefferson City, TN. The signal had that distinct odor of being WELL-ABOVE flea power from the Knoxville area.

A quick bandscan revealed an over-200KHz-wide smorgasbord of southern-fried pigskin coverage from 1250-1480KHz. Nearly every "regional" channel bore the sound of some rookie PxP guy with a distinct accent calling a football game over a visiting guest signal I was unfamiliar with! 

This has been going on for years.  I recall a conversation in the 70s with an engineer from a Wisconsin station that carried high school sports on Friday nights.  He freely admitted staying at 5kw day power instead of the 1kw highly directional night power for any and all away games outside his station's normal nighttime service area.

Perhaps the reason the FCC looks the other way (if indeed that's the case) is because one can rationalize and claim that the station...which is typically a small town struggling AM...is providing one of its most important community services.  Also, more often than not, the day power involved isn't all that high to begin with, and whatever interference is created, if any, is likely to be minimal....or at least relatively so....and of short duration.

 

[boiseengineer]

If the FCC catches you, you get fined.
If the CRTC catches you, you get a reprimand and it "might" show up in your license renewal hearing.

 

[jd]

But the FCC doesn't tell you what kind of format you can or can't do.

 

[schmave]

But the FCC doesn't tell you what kind of format you can or can't do.

And it lets you dump a lot of night pattern into Canada.

 

[radioman148]

And a lot of stations don't have to have a "good" reason to do it.