Whistling In a Graveyard Here -- Florida AM DX From Irma

[Steve Green NEPA]

Heck, I don't want to come off as some sort of conscience-less mercenary or looting scavenger here. But even as immortal DXing teen kids from the North we'd always DX a hurricane on AM. We'd be up at such unsociable hours anyway. What else was there to do then, a thousand miles away from all the havoc? Where was the harm, now and then?

So for what it's worth, I pass along word about two Florida AM stations -- both directional as blazes day and night -- which possibly could be running their 50,000 watt directional daytime signals in omni, day and night, for the emergency. The info comes from a link on Radio Discussions' Miami-Fort Lauderdale forum.

Affiliated WWBA 860 in Tampa and WIXC 1060 Titusville maintain they will spit into the wind and be prepared for broadcast. Depending on the storm track and the regional priorities, the former 'Big Ape' 690 -- now WOKV, of course, might be doing their 50,000 omni thing, the way they did with Hugo in 1989.

 

[Steve Green NEPA]

Just got word from GM Frank, via the Miami forum : AM stations that are directional throughout their broadcast day are not allowed to go omni, irrespective of circumstances.

In fact, the press release I read about WIXC and WWBA did not mention anything about omni operations during the storm.

My oversight. And maybe theirs. The situation still leaves no AM signal to serve the inland FL area.

 

[rbrucecarter5]

Just got word from GM Frank, via the Miami forum : AM stations that are directional throughout their broadcast day are not allowed to go omni, irrespective of circumstances.

In fact, the press release I read about WIXC and WWBA did not mention anything about omni operations during the storm.

My oversight. And maybe theirs. The situation still leaves no AM signal to serve the inland FL area.

They probably can't. At least not easily. One hopes that WSB will step up to the plate and broadcast relief information at night. During the day, WSB is pretty weak by the time you get to Orlando, so it probably won't be much good for Florida residents much South of Palatka, where it is starting to boom in.

 

[icybluelake]

I have a really stupid question -- because I've never experienced a hurricane or been near one. What is AM radio reception like for people in a hurricane, riding it out? When I am experiencing a severe thunderstorm, I can't expect to anything much beyond my local stations due to static interference from lightning. I would guess that hurricanes wouldn't create that much lightning, and would therefore have much less interference, correct?

 

[crainbebo]

You folks on the East Coast might get Florida easily on AM as the next few days go on. We are going through the biggest solar flare in 10 years. The northern lights were seen last night as far as northern Arkansas!

 

[Steve Green NEPA]

@ IcyBlueLake ....

Everything depends on what you'd be doing while in a hurricane. It'd probably be the same primal instincts as if you were in a blizzard or a prolonged blackout -- wanting news and communications from the outside world as to when it'll be back to normal again. There'd be too many priorities ahead of DXing.

Interesting question, though! Perhaps someone here on the forum was in the perfect spot at the right time and who knows what the DX was like ....

* * * * * * *

O/T a little this story is, for sure, but indeed speaking about the premise of being caught in a storm ....
Around 2000 or so, March, I had vacationed at my Folks house in north-central Florida, at The Villages. Right overhead there developed a nice, nasty, juicy chunk of a tropical depression the night before I was supposed to be on a 7 AM flight out of Orlando to go back home and to work. The storm had an eye and everything.
Whew. My flight took off on schedule. The storm had left and had gone north.
Of course, since the storm had gone north already, we passengers were told by the pilot to buckle up, about at the Virginia-NC border. There was some 'possible turbulence' as the plane flew over same gosh-darned thing.
Murphy's Law had one final rebuke. When I waited for my luggage at the Allentown airport, I noticed a lot of people moving about lickety-split with their rolling suitcases. I asked some girl what was up. She said, 'You haven't heard? There's this big snowstorm headed here later.'
Naturally, it was the same system I'd seen twice before. I got in my car and GTFO'ed there.

 

[NoMoreLurking]

How about WINZ 940 going to day facilities (50kw omni) for Irma coverage...maybe? Otherwise iHeart seems to be pinning their fortunes to WIOD 610, which may very well cover the same area as WINZ without having to claim emergency status.

 

[Ai4i]

How about WINZ 940 going to day facilities (50kw omni) for Irma coverage...maybe?

Both stations absolutely cover all of the market and beyond, diurnally.

Oh, if Guy Gannett had only purchased the Macon station and had done a WOWO number on them!
WINZ would still have to protect Canadian and Mexican clears,
but they would certainly be able to relax their deepest nulls.