WMOB DX Contest!

[cyberdad]

Well, I guess it's possible Buddy Tucker bought a 10 kW transmitter and is running it at full power. On paper, our best AM signal should be 660 WXQW which runs 10 kW from a site on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay in Fairhope. But WMOB seems to get out a lot better with less power and a higher dial position.

To be honest, who knows what the guy's really doing. He's on a mission from God, rules be damned.

I'll confirm the same observation from where I was last month 15-20 south/southeast of you on the beach. If 660 has the stronger signal on the beach, as you'd expect from 10kw ND low on the dial, you wouldn't notice it. I don't have an s-meter, but I'd still guess WMOB is the stronger of the two. Actually, WMOB got out pretty well from its old site/setup....which I've always attributed to the fact that it's effectively in a saltwater swamp.

 

[tomservo]

Zach, since you live in the area, I'd be curious to know how far north they are heard during the daytime (if you know)?

I'm afraid I have very little reason to go further north than I-10 so I couldn't say. Once you get past Bay Minette it's all pine trees and moo cows for a long, long time.

Due to the marshy wetlands around the Alabama River running north from the bay, WMOB's daytime signal has something of an onion-dome appearance, so it may be easily heard as far north as Jackson, abou 60 miles north. Ground conductivity in this area is terrible so even the best AMs don't have much reach during the day.

 

[cjunkielover]

I took a look at the Google Earth picture posted earlier. Isn't this the old WUNI transmitter location that I used to pass when I worked in LA during the mid 70's?

Yes, I know I'm old...

 

[tomservo]

I took a look at the Google Earth picture posted earlier. Isn't this the old WUNI transmitter location that I used to pass when I worked in LA during the mid 70's?

Yes, I know I'm old...

Yup, that's it.

The site probably dates back to the WALA 1410 days, when it was part of an AM/FM/TV combo (only WALA-TV remains with those calls.) Around 1963 the combo was split up and that's when this became country WUNI. I was told the calls stood for "You and I" but it was popularly called "Woonie" and there was a Woonie Bird for a mascot. Later stuttering singer Mel Tillis ran it, as WMML (M-M-Mel!) He later sold it to some African American broadcasters who tried rap. In the 90s it was resurrected as a black gospel outlet, "Love 1410" WLVV.

I'm a little hazy what happened after that. I'm not sure if it was on when Katrina hit in 2005 or not. Katrina severely damaged the site, which is understandable considering its location. I don't think WLVV ever returned to the air. In 2009 a local Catholic group bought the station and rather than fix up the Causeway site, got a permit to move it into Mobile city. The Causeway site seemed to have remained in disrepear until it was refurbished by Buddy Tucker when he moved WMOB there.

While I take issue with Tucker's illegal operation of this station, I do appreciate that he restored the old building to a good condition and put what is arguably the city's best site for an AM station back into use.

 

[Steve Green NEPA]

This largely non-practicing DXer finds it goofy that the only two stations logged here from Alabama are from Mobile, are on regional channels, and are right next to each other on the dial -- WMOB 1360 and WLVV 1410.

So as competitors for a religious audience, they have to have the same stature as Top 40 signals once battled in Hartford CT and Pittsburgh.
Hartford had 'Big D' WDRC 1360 and WPOP 1410.
And in the early 70's, Pittsburgh's battle-of-the-band was KQV 1410, and WIXZ 1360.
At the time, 'Wixx-zee's air staff included this long-haired, walrus-like, Meathead-looking guy named Jeff Christie. He's known now, of course, as Rush Limbaugh.

* * * * * * * *

Still no takers on the multiple-call WMOB station ID? I thought I heard something like 'WMVO' mentioned.

 

[tomservo]

And in the early 70's, Pittsburgh's battle-of-the-band was KQV 1410, and WIXZ 1360.
At the time, 'Wixx-zee's air staff included this long-haired, walrus-like, Meathead-looking guy named Jeff Christie. He's known now, of course, as Rush Limbaugh.

* * * * * * * *

Still no takers on the multiple-call WMOB station ID? I thought I heard something like 'WMVO' mentioned.

WMVO is on 1300, so it couldn't have been that. Where I am I'll never hear anything but WMOB since it's more or less a local.

Wasn't Limbaugh also on KQV? I swear I've heard an aircheck of him as Jeff Christie at "14 Carat Gold" talking up "Hitchin' A Ride" by saying "Stick that thumb in the air, Vanity Fare!" Which to this day cracks me up for some reason.

 

[audioguy]

Steve NEPA asked a question about a second ID: "WMOB seemed to have at least one other ID with it. WMVO, sounded like. Can anyone confirm?"

I don't know if this is what Steve was referring to, but WMOB is part of a network of three stations. The other two are WTOF (Tower of Faith) 1110, Bay Minette, AL and WYND 1310, DeLand FL. Although most of the time the TOH ID and other IDs only mention WMOB, they do air some variations that mention at least one of the other stations. I have definitely heard WTOF Bay Minette mentioned; I'm not sure about the station in Florida. So it's possibly you might have heard one of these IDs.

The station can also be heard online via links on their web site; http://buddytuckerassociation.org/index.html

 

[tomservo]

After all my complaining about the way Tucker runs his stations, would anyone be surprised if I said that WTOF actually signs off at sunset now like they're supposed to?

For years, they ran their 10 kW days only auth 24/7. They began signing off at night shortly after I moved to the area a few years back.

 

[audioguy]

It appears that the WMOB DX contest may be over. I heard them only faintly a few days ago, and not at all since then. Unless this is due to unusual propagation conditions, it seems unlikely that they'll be heard in Chicago again. Well, it was nice while it lasted...